I Suck at Football
by toreax
Summary: Hiccup is the bullied cripple at the school. Toothless was the quiet football quarterback. Their lives cross, and sparks fly. hiatus.
1. Chapter 1

**Notes: This is a Toothcup fic. There is romantic Hiccup/Toothless. Boy x Boy. Gayness. High school au.**

 **Warnings: Bullying, may be sex scenes later on, mentions of past child abuse, future child abuse (briefly), love (oh no), cursing.**

 **I will let you know if there are any other warnings. They will be posted at the beginning of chapters (besides bullying. That's a given.)**

 **THIS IS NOT EDITED! THERE WILL BE GRAMATICAL ERRORS WITHIN!**

 **Enjoy!**

…

…

Hiccup didn't mean to be gay.

He was nine when he first noticed. He wouldn't think about girls like everyone else. All the boys would be trying stupid things to get a girls attention while he rather stayed back and watched. He would think about the boys and how it would be like to hold their hand, and, eventually, kiss them. He didn't like girls with their flowing hair and doe eyes, he liked boys. He would rather have strong limbs instead of feminine curves. He's rather have confidence instead of beauty.

At first, he was horrified. He tried to push back those thoughts to the deepest parts of his mind. He couldn't ignore them, but he could hide them. It's easier said than done. Everything about him was so hard to hide that hiding another part of him was just so difficult. He never acted on these thoughts, he was too afraid. He was afraid of reactions, consequences, his father, _himself_.

Before she died, his mother would tell him that she loved him no matter what. No matter what he did, said, or thought, she would love him regardless. Always. He always had a sneaky feeling she knew his secret.

He never told anyone. It was too risky, dangerous. Words were one thing, rejection was another. Sharing and feeling were too very different things, and it was hard to bring them together. He thought about telling his father once, but he knew that would end badly. _Very_ badly. And ever since his mom died, it would be even worse.

"Hey, faggot."

Hiccup craned his neck up from where he was sat at his desk and couldn't help but grimace. Collin, the Berk football captain, towered over him with a coy smile on his face. He was a built teen with large muscles and a stocky stature. With his mass of curly russet hair and a stunning smile, he got all the girls bowing at his feet. Hiccup didn't like him in the least. He was a jerk, and only cared for himself and his overflowing ego. Hiccup noticed some of the other football players standing behind them. One caught his eye, but Hiccup just looked back down to his work.

"Hey," Collin barked, "I said hey. You shouldn't ignore generosity."

Hiccup bit the inside of his cheek to stop himself saying a snotty remark, which would only end up with a punch in the face. He whispered quietly, "Hi."

Collin looked even more big-headed, if that was possible. Snotlout, a left-fielder on the team, came up to his side from behind him and curled his lips upwards, crossing his arms. "Hey, cousin."

Hiccup ignored him and pressed down harder with his pencil. Embarrassment crept into his face. They had attracted attention of the entire class, and the room went silent to hear the dorky loner get slapped around. It was free period, and the teacher wasn't in the room, so anyone could do what they wanted and not get in trouble since no one blabbed their mouths. Snitching in Berk was technically a death wish.

"You know ignoring can put you in a bad place, homo," Collin sneered. "Especially if it's family. You wouldn't want to answer to mommy, would you? Oh, sorry, I forgot: your moms dead. Isn't that a shame?"

Hiccup shrunk in on himself. He didn't care how people talked about him, but bringing his mom up was like a taboo for him. It was an extremely sensitive topic. Valka had been a wonderful, kind woman that cared only for others over herself. She didn't deserve to be put down, even if she was dead. But Hiccup was just too afraid of saying something because he didn't need to be walking home with another bruise.

"Maybe – " Collin started, but the bell signaling next period gave a shrill ring. For a moment, the students stayed still, wondering if the football captain was going to say something else, before they all grabbed their books and hurriedly went out the classroom. Hiccup stayed put, pinned down by Collin and his lackeys.

"Do everyone a favor," Collin said, "and kill yourself. It would sure save me some time."

Hiccup fiddled with the hem of his shirt, his body heating up in anxiousness. He honestly didn't give a fuck what Collin said, but it still kind of hurt. It would hurt even more if he went physical. So, he stayed silent until Collin turned on his heel with Snotlout on his tail. There were only three other football players behind them, and they followed like peasants in a kingdom.

"I can't believe that's your cousin," one of them said. Hiccup stopped himself from snorting.

The last one in line, Toothless, stood still for a moment before leaving as well. Hiccup watched him. Toothless had always managed to keep his attention. He didn't seem like he belonged in the group, nor did he want to. There was always a stony scowl on his face that made him look bored out of his mind. He didn't talk, didn't respond to any of Collin's quips, and didn't make anyone come near him if he could help it. It didn't seem like a loner per say, just someone that was independent. Like no one could say something that would make him care, even if it hurt his social career. Then again, Hiccup didn't even know why he hung around Collin. It didn't really make sense to him because Toothless obviously wasn't very fond of the team captain either.

Hiccup caught Toothless glance towards him, and he quickly looked away, his cheeks coloring. From the corner of his eye, he saw the teen shove his hands on his pockets, looking more unapproachable than ever, then walk out.

Hiccup had never really paid attention to him other than curiosity, but he realized he'd never heard Toothless speak before.

…

After school, Hiccup went to his usual spot to work. It was the bleachers at the old football field. It wasn't used since it was too small. The players usually practiced in the big field where the grass was greener and the lines were perfectly painted. The old one had ancient plants and a ratty goal. The bleachers had spots of crusty rust and creaky legs. It wasn't the best place to stay, but Hiccup found he quite liked it. It was quiet since no one was ever there and he could look over the oak trees gathered by the high way a few miles away.

He sat down at the top left corner, where he always sat, making sure to pick the place where there wasn't as much rust and the likelihood of the structure to collapse underneath him. He plopped down, brushing his hair out of his eyes and yanked out his sketchbook from his backpack. Crossing his legs, he set the book on his knee and leaned forward, chin in palm, thinking. It was a beautiful day with the breeze brushing over branches and the clouds hiding the sun from direct heat. It usually looked like this in Berk except the fact there were stronger winds and rain. But today was perfect.

He blew out a breath and observed the tree line, turning to a new, crisp page. He wiggled his pencil between his fingers and narrowed his eyes, blindly moving the charcoal, using only his observations instead of looking at the paper.

Then, he nearly fell when the metal clanged and vibrated underneath him. He accidentally swiped a messy line right through his sketch in his surprise. He pouted, and looked down. He jerked in shock, fumbling with his feet to shrink in on himself to not make himself be seen.

Hiccup watched. Toothless dropped a duffel bag, the zipper clanging against metal. The teen looked out to the field and then pulled a worn football out of his bag, then tossed it carelessly to the side. He stripped off his shirt, leaving only a low cut tank top underneath. Hiccup's cheeks colored voluntarily. He couldn't believe he hadn't run yet. If Toothless saw him, only God knows what kind of beating he would get.

Toothless began jogging around the perimeter of the field. His skin was tanned naturally and his jet black hair fell messily down to his ears and caressed his strong jawline. He didn't look like the other football players, Hiccup noticed. He wasn't broad or wide. He was lean and lithe, built for speed, with angular limbs and slim muscles. He was almost lanky, but he made up with a sleek outline. Hiccup covered his eyes, knowing he was just staring like some creeper. It was a total invasion of privacy.

Hiccup, feeling more lost in a while, shoved his sketchbook back into his bag. He fished for his pencil, but it slipped away from his hands, clattering down the bleachers. Like a deer in the headlights, Hiccup glanced up to the field, and, with a sinking feeling, he saw Toothless look over to him. He looked surprised, which was the only emotion Hiccup had ever seen out of him. Hiccup decided _fuck it_ and swung his bag over his shoulder, scrabbling down the bleachers with hurried steps. Luckily, he didn't fall. That would have been _so_ embarrassing.

Hiccup immediately swung away with wide eyes. He peeked over his shoulder one last time before he took off running, and spotted Toothless looking at him with a strange expression.

…

…

 **Oh. My. God.**

 **I had such a hard time starting this. The beginning is so sloppy and written terribly. I am so sorry you had to look at this with your own eyes. I started getting more confident with what I was typing down towards the end.**

 **I am not sure where this fic will go. I have started and deleted so many fics in the past few months that I decided** _ **maybe I should actually do something and stick with it**_ **. I promise you at some point, I am going to get writer's block. I do not have this planned out. I started thinking about the whole Toothcup thing and the high school au, and I plotted a scene out in my mind that this will eventually lead to** _ **if I actually get there in the first place.**_ **I** _ **do not**_ **know how this will go, and I** _ **do not**_ **know if I will finish it. Honestly, I will probably get some sort of inspiration and finish it eventually, but who knows?**

 **I have to say: I am not a fan of Toothcup. I mean, in general, I'm not. But if you make Toothless a real human being, then, yeah, I can see how it works, and I totally ship it. But the dragon-human thing? Uh, no thanks. I don't really see it.**

 **I doubt I will get very many views, but I'm going to write to my heart's content.**

 **Anyway, thanks for reading! Let's all hope!**


	2. Chapter 2

"You do realize it's not polite to ignore people."

Hiccup winced, remembering what Collin had said to him. Gobber gave him a strange look, one that scuffed up his mustache and caused his eyes to squint. Hiccup just continued scrubbing a table with the rag harder. With tons of work to do, he didn't want to waste any time, even when Gobber, his boss and his sort of adoptive father, always wanted to chat away about random things; politics, tolls, and the next football game. Working as a waiter was bad enough, having a boss that technically raised you since you were ten wasn't. Gobber was more the sarcastic, protective type who always wanted to know what was going on in the simplest form with the smallest amount of wording needed. Hiccup was sure the man still didn't understand that some things didn't come in simple forms.

"You look tense," Gobber pointed out, poking his prosthetic towards him. "Mind explaining?"

"There's nothing to explain," Hiccup said, quickly moving to another table, dragging the boxed cart behind him piled high with dishes. He cleared the plates and silverware, thankful the restaurant was closed and there were no people around to make him jumpy. It wasn't a deafening silence since there was the muffled jingle of background music playing like white noise.

Gobber snorted, picking at a piece of worn leather on one of the booths with a scowl. "I know tha' look, Hicca'. Did a bully get to you again?"

Hiccup rolled his eyes, tossing a pair of salt and pepper into the cart. " _No_. You know this look, you should also know I don't let them get to me. They're not worth it."

Gobber made an affirmative sound. "You got tha' right. Those annoying bastards are always causing trouble in my restaurant. They don't need ta' be bothering you, too. I swear, next time they do something stupid, I'm kickin' them ou'."

Hiccup's lips quirked upwards and he cleared the last table, running the rag over the steel surface with precise fingers. "And just what trouble do they get into here? I've never seen them when I'm working."

"That's because they like to come after school and on weekends," Gobber grouched. "Always trying' to skip out on bills and hittin' on the waitresses. I don't even think they know ya work here. And I want ta keep it tha' way."

Hiccup hung the rag on the side of the grey cart and brushed his bangs out of his eyes. He bit his lip and looked away, asking curiously, "Uh, does a, um, guy come here with them?"

Gobber's brow lifted. "Wha' guy? Got to be more specific, lad."

Gobber began walking towards the kitchen, and Hiccup scrambled to follow, pulling the cart behind him, which was a feat in itself. "He's, uh, he has black hair. It's kind of long, and he doesn't really talk. He looks, you know, like he wants everyone to leave him alone."

Gobber tapped his chin with his hook of a hand. "A black-haired, mute, homicidal teen. I don't think I 'ave. You're describing half the teenage population."

Hiccup shook his head, like he was trying to get water out of his ears. He bit the inside of his cheek as they slipped through the kitchen doors and turned on the lights. "It's nothing. Just curious."

Gobber headed over to the sink, taking a pile of plates along with him. "He one of your bullies or somethin'?"

"Uh, no, actually," Hiccup said slowly. "Just someone. Really, it's nothing."

Gobber shrugged and looked back to the sink. "Whatever you say."

…

Heading through the front door of his house, Hiccup flicked on the lights, only to be greeted with…nothing. Like usual. He couldn't help but sigh, cursing himself for still hoping to this day. He jogged up the stairs to his room, clicking on the lamp. His room illuminated, lighting up his walls filled with stray sketches and charcoal drawings. He dropped his backpack onto the floor at the end of his bed, not even bothering to get his sketchbook out.

He went to his bathroom. The tile was cold against his foot and the bright lights hurt his eyes. He pulled out his trusty bottle from the cabinet underneath the sink and set it in front of him. He let out a large breath, taking off the cap with a swipe of his wrist. He shook four pain killers into his palm and lifted them to his mouth, swallowing them down after a sip of water.

Looking in the mirror, he wondered if he'd done something. His dad was never home, he hadn't seen him in two and a half weeks now. He wasn't sure where he was. He was a wealthy business man after all, but he had only left a note saying to keep the heater off because something was wrong with it. He didn't say where he was going, who he was going with or to meet. Just that he was leaving. Hiccup sighed. He would be lucky if his dad showed up in a month from now. The longest time he'd been gone was two months straight.

Hiccup tried to not care, but it was hard. Very hard, actually. He loved his dad dearly, but Hiccup knew he reminded Stoick too much of his mother. That's why he buried himself into his work and agreed to any trips on strict business. Being the manager of an entire company wasn't easy, and it required a lot of time and dedication. Time and dedication didn't mean his son. So he was pulled out of the picture. Never spoken to during a business trip, and ignored when he was home. It was an ongoing process, and whenever Hiccup had tried to talk to him, he just got an annoyed shove.

Hiccup knew he should try harder. But what was the point? There was no way to get his dad to talk to him – at least none that he could think of. He could take being bullied, but it was different when you were ignored. Barely spoken to. Left worrying for someone else that was dead to you anyway.

He ran a hand through his hair and pulled it away from his face, making strange expressions at himself in the mirror. He could see why he was such an easy target for bullies. He was scrawny with no meat on his bones. His arms were too long for his body and his legs were the size of toothpicks. His face was narrow and his nose was petite along with his large green eyes. Honestly, he looked more like a girl than anything. He was effeminate.

He sighed another time, his shoulders sinking. He thought back to what Gobber had said. So Toothless wasn't with the other jerks? That seemed a bit shocking, but it was also believable in Hiccup's opinion. He wondered if Collin had even heard him speak. Probably. But it was hard to think because he'd never heard his voice. The guy really was mysterious, and a bit alluring. Hiccup scrubbed his face in his hands, muttering "no, no, no," over and over again. He wasn't allowed to think that way. Toothless was not only straight, he was also one of the most popular guys in school for his silent bad boy attitude and overall being on the football team, no less a quarterback. For God's sake, no one even knew his real name!

 _And besides,_ Hiccup thought sourly, _who would like me anyway?_

Now the bullies were just getting to his head. He set the pain killers back under the sink, wobbling back to his room, phantom pains rolling up his right leg from standing so long with work and walking home. He collapsed in bed and, with lazy fingers, unclipped his prosthetic from his stub of a leg, laying back with a sigh.

He snorted.

…

"Mr. Haddock? Mr. Haddock!"

Hiccup's head wheeled around from where he'd been staring out the window, daydreaming, to the plump woman calling out his name. His teacher, Mrs. Fortis, had a deep, disapproving scowl on her face, the shadowed lines of her wrinkles standing out like messy paintbrush strokes. She was going into her late sixties, and Hiccup didn't understand why the school insisted on keeping her since she was one of the worse teachers he'd ever had. Being an early junior, he didn't need to deal with another one.

"Yes, uh, sorry, Mrs. Fortis," he stuttered out, ignoring the snickers of the other students. "Um…what did you say?"

Mrs. Fortis snapped shut the textbook in her hands, not breaking eye contact. Hiccup did, though. He looked away to stare at the edge of her desk, which wasn't interesting in the least, but it would have to do because he didn't need to feel so on edge with her terrifying stare.

"I said," Mrs. Fortis began, drawing out the _s_ like a snake, "do you know what the answer is?"

Hiccup fumbled with the textbook laying open on his desk, flipping over pages. He'd lost track of where they were. God, he could have at least acted like he was paying attention or flip the pages whenever everyone else did. But no. He was him, and that was a strange thing to be.

"I, uh, I'm sorry," Hiccup said, his cheeks coloring in embarrassment. "What page were we on?"

Mrs. Fortis sighed. "Page forty-two, Mr. Haddock. No need to answer the question since you were too busy staring out the window to even know which one I'd asked. We'll just have Mr. Robert read instead."

Collin grinned widely. Hiccup didn't really care. Collin began to read with a higher and more precise voice, pronouncing the vowels perfectly for the teacher. Mrs. Fortis complimented him. Hiccup rolled his eyes, his gaze already slipping back towards the window.

Something hit him on the back of the head. Instantly, he thought it was a spit ball by one of the teenagers picking on him. He swiped at his hair. Something else hit his head. He swiped. Hit. Swipe. Hit. Swipe. Hit. Swipe. Hit –

Hiccup turned around with thinned lips, trying to glare at whoever was pelting him with whatever it was. His immediately blamed the cheerleader captain with flowing blonde hair who always hung off of Collin's waist like some sort of trophy. But then something else caught his eye. He saw Toothless tapping on his textbook with his pencil. Hiccup's brow furrowed, and he looked back to see the teacher turn away from the board to him, as if to ask him a question.

Hiccup was actually ready for the question.

He wasn't sure who to thank.

…

…

 **I'm just going with the flow and trying to not make it too short. Sometimes it may be boring because, I'm mean, c'mon people, there has to be a reason for them to start liking each other more and more. It's not something that just happens immediately. And I don't want it to be just physical attraction and stuff like that.**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	3. Chapter 3

The first thing that came to Hiccup's head was _oh shit._

Snotlout and a few others rounded the corner. Hiccup was slightly thankful that it wasn't any of the football players. But then he caught sight of who it was. A slim girl with blonde hair that fell over her shoulder in a braid. Her bangs hung over her eyes, and she had to bat them away every so often. Another girl was at her side, chatting aimlessly. She was also blonde, but rather lanky with hunched shoulders and a pointed chin. A boy stood to her side with long hair down to his hips. They looked very similar next to each other it was obvious they were siblings, maybe even twins. Then there was another boy that was even wider than Snotlout. He wasn't stocky like the latter. He had more meat on his bones and a round face with small, stubby legs.

The second thing that came to Hiccup's head was _oh fucking shit._

It was Astrid and Ruffnut, two of the most athletic girls in Berks high school. They were both on the tennis team and Astrid competed in cross country. Then there was Tuffnut, the rug bee champion. He'd won two trophies in one game for Berk along with a medal against the other high schools in town. And then there was Fishlegs, one of the smartest kids in school. He wasn't a mathlete or anything, more of a bookworm and a knowledge whizz. Hiccup understood why he wasn't picked on. He could talk anyone to oblivion and could probably hack into the schools grading files with a simple book of _Illegal Computer Hacking for Dummies._

 _Oh shit, get out of here!_ Why of all days did Hiccup choose to go grocery shopping? He'd never seen popular kids at the farmers market before, so why were they here now? Well, that wasn't really important. He just needed to get out of here _now_.

Hiccup tried to duck into the next aisle filled with apples and peppers, but he had a sneaky feeling he'd been seen. There was a confused noise and the chattering of the five teens stopped.

"Hey, Snotlout. Wasn't that your cousin?"

 _Oh, hell._ He had to get out of here. He had never spoken to any of them except Snotlout before, but that didn't matter because he was already well aware of how Snotlout could be. He didn't need four other teens ganging up on him just because Snotlout told him to. He shuddered at the thought. Right when he saw his cousin's meaty hand appear from the other aisle, he swerved down underneath the apple baskets, scrambling to get underneath. He prayed he hadn't been seen.

"Hiccup? What the hell are you doing under the baskets?" he heard Snotlout ask.

Hiccup peeked over, not even pretending to hide. He got to his feet, not bothering to get his basket of fruits. He laughed nervously, trying to rid himself the chance of causing a scene, or worse: get kicked out of the farmers market. That would be very bad.

Astrid came up next to him along with Ruffnut. The other guys stood at his other side. Hiccup noticed that they all had different stances than the football players. They didn't look like lackeys looking for a fight. They looked like they all had…brains. He didn't mean to be insulting, but they looked like they didn't give a shit what Snotlout said. Snotlout didn't really look deterred, and that was surprising.

"Oh, I was… _IIIIIIII_ was, you, see." Hiccup cleared his throat. "I was, uh, checking for any…apples! Yeah, apples that had fallen! It'd be a real shame if they fell and rotted."

Snotlout rolled his eyes. "You're so fucking weird."

Astrid crossed her arms. "All the apples are in the baskets."

Hiccup swallowed thickly. "Uh, yeah. You can never be too careful, I guess." He gave an uneasy smile and glanced over to the exit of the greenhouse. "Wow, look at the time. I best be going –"

"Collin told us you were gay," Ruffnut said, and Hiccup couldn't help but note that she didn't sound very bright to say the least. "Is it true?"

 _Wow_ , that was a _serious_ invasion of privacy. Hiccup frowned. "I have to go."

"Hey," Snotlout snapped, "it's not very nice to dodge a girls question, is it, cousin?"

Hiccup bit his tongue, tugging at the hem of his smudgy brown shirt. "It's…really none of your business. Sorry."

Snotlout looked a bit surprised. Then he looked mad. Ruffnut didn't look like she care.

Before things could get out of hand, Hiccup turned on his heel with a mumbled "bye" before slipping out of the greenhouse.

That had been close.

…

A week went by, and Toothless never showed up at the field again. Hiccup was thankful because he didn't have to leave his normal drawing spot every day looking like his house had just set fire. That was his place to go when the day ended, had been since he came to the high school three years ago. It was almost strange, foreign, to him to even think about someone else being there. He didn't really mind, it was just distracting. But it didn't matter anymore. Toothless hadn't come back, and he probably wouldn't.

Hiccup sat down on his spot on the top left corner of the bleachers, pulling out his sketchbook and drawing out the horizon above the trees like he always did. It was a bit cloudier today, but it wasn't raining thankfully. The sun was nowhere to be seen, but Hiccup kind of liked it that way. It wasn't blaring in his eyes, so he didn't have to squint to draw.

 _Clatter_.

Hiccup jumped. He looked down and saw Toothless swing around and plop his duffel bag on the bleachers. Hiccup wasn't sure if he should groan or just stay silent. He was still a bit shocked to say the least. He really was convinced Toothless wouldn't come back. That day last week must've just been a bit of extra training, but obviously not. He was back. And Hiccup didn't want to leave his spot.

He didn't scrambled up this time. He just began to slip his sketchbook back into his bag and actually put his pencil with it.

He jumped again when footsteps started. He looked over. Toothless was walking up the bleachers steps towards the top. He still had his usual black t-shirt on with gym shorts and running shoes. Hiccup couldn't even see his eyes since his hair hung down as he walked. Hiccup looked around. For what – he didn't know. He didn't know why Toothless was coming up to the top. And he really didn't want to find out. He just wanted to get away before he would be beaten to a pulp again.

He began to stand up hastily, but then Toothless was suddenly in front of him, a level down on the bleachers. He was still taller by a few inches. And Hiccup could see his eyes. They were a piercing green that looked almost electric. With an erratic heartbeat and dry throat, Hiccup stood completely still.

Silence.

Hiccup couldn't take it anymore. "L-Look, if you're going to beat me up, can you just do it quickly so I can get home?"

Toothless still had that bored look on his face. But now that Hiccup was up close, he could see that he didn't look bored in the least. He looked observant. Aware. But at the same time, independent. Hiccup vaguely wondered if he'd looked like that the entire time.

"I'm not going to beat you up," Toothless said. "I just wanted to say I'm sorry for what Collin said the other day. He's just a complete douche-bag. Losing a parent sucks."

Hiccup stood completely paralyzed. Toothless' voice was deep, but at the same time had a hint of lightness to it. It was like sandpaper, but also like silk. It was so easy to explain, yet so impossible.

Hiccup's throat bobbed, unsure of what to say. He was too surprised that Toothless even spoke to him – spoke in general – to even speak. The normal expression on Toothless' face softened for just the slightest moment before it was back without a trace of even disappearing. Then, he turned on his heel, went down to the field, and began jogging.

Hiccup stood in place, just staring at where Toothless had once stood. He shook himself into reality, and scrabbled for his backpack. He slipped away without a word.

…

The next day, Hiccup tried to approach Toothless. Well, tried was a strong word. Only once he'd tried to even walk in the same general direction, then he turned away quickly when his confidence dropped like a pin and made it to his next class. Why would Toothless want to talk to him anyway?

Hiccup wasn't sure what to even say. Should he say anything at all? Toothless was probably just being nice, which didn't seem all that unusual in the overlook. But saying something back would require to look at him, approach him, look at him some more, finding the words to say, and actually getting a reaction. Hiccup wasn't fond of reactions. Or talking to people he didn't know.

 _You know it's not polite to ignore people_. Hiccup wanted to be polite. Maybe he should be and just say thank you and leave. But, would that make him seem strange? He was already very strange to the people around him, he didn't need another one, if Toothless didn't already find him very strange already. Probably. He had that effect on people.

He decided he just shouldn't say anything. Saying something would require so much, and all that would come out of his mouth were two little words that meant a lot to him, and probably nothing to Toothless. Not saying anything would just save him from more embarrassment. That was good enough for him.

"Oh, look. Its Berk's fag."

Hiccup took a deep breath. He didn't look up from the book he was reading. He didn't understand why Collin was even in the library, during lunch nonetheless. The guy had a brain the size a peanut. Books would just obliterate his already small amount of brain cells for good. And what about the fact that it was lunch? Lunch was time to socialize for the kids that weren't loners. Loners found some way to avoid that time, and Hiccup's way was to flee to the library.

"What do you want, Collin?" Hiccup asked quietly, not really wanting to know.

Collin sneered above him, and, with a swipe of his foot, Hiccup's book went flying into another aisle. Hiccup was just grateful that Collin had kicked the book and not his face.

"Getting snappy, are we?" Collin said tauntingly. "Maybe you should talk to someone about that. If you had anyone. No one wants a fag, anyway. I see why – "

"Hey, asshole."

Hiccup stood up straighter at the voice. Toothless appeared in the aisle, tossing over a thin book to Collin before shoving his hands into his pockets. Collin didn't seem put off by the name he had been so graciously called as he checked over the book and quickly flipped through the pages.

"C'mon," Toothless said. "You promised Cherry you would get her the book while she was at lunch. You got the book. Let's go."

Collin's gaze slid back over to Hiccup. Hiccup stared at the ground.

"This isn't over, fag," Collin snapped before disappearing along with Toothless.

Hiccup covered his shaking hands, mentally counting how many _thanks you's_ he was going to have to dodge.

…

Hiccup plopped down on the bleachers. He pulled out his sketchbook and leaned back, setting the book on his thighs. Taking a deep breath, he let the breeze brush through the strands of his hair. Then, he drew.

 _Clatter._

Hiccup didn't jump this time. But he did sit up straighter. Toothless took out the worn football from his duffel bag and slipped off his shirt. Hiccup didn't move this time, hoping to God he would be approached.

 _Clunk._

 _Clunk._

 _Clunk._

Oh, Jesus. Footsteps. Hiccup didn't look up. He heard Toothless sit down by his feet.

"You're welcome, by the way," he said. "I told you he was douche-bag."

Hiccup spluttered. "Oh, um, I'm so sorry. You deserve a thank you. I mean – I guess – I just…thank you."

Toothless shrugged. Hiccup noticed how natural it looked on him. He inhaled.

Then a football was thrown at him.

Hiccup fumbled with it for a moment, and, somehow, managed to keep it in his hands. He stared at it for a few moments. Then he looked back at Toothless. The latter stood up, gave him a long look, cocking his head to the side.

"Well?"

Hiccup gave him a confused expression. "…Um…well what?"

"C'mon," he said. "Make yourself useful. I don't have a receiver."

Hiccup faltered. "You mean…play football?"

Toothless nodded. "Yeah."

Hiccup's face turned bright red. "Oh, I'm sorry. I, uh, I don't know how to play."

"We're just passing."

"Oh. Well…" Hiccup looked anywhere but Toothless. "I just – I can't play. I mean, look at me. It's obvious enough."

Toothless rolled his eyes. "You're just as capable as any of the players. C'mon, we don't have to be that long."

Hiccup picked at his shirt, trying to calm his heartbeat. "Uh, Toothless, I really can't. It's not that I don't want to or – or anything like that. I really can't. Literally."

Great. Now Toothless thought he was just to chicken to even catch and throw a football. He probably thought he was a coward.

Toothless gave him a confused look. Then, he went back to looking observant. He nodded once. "Okay." He began walking down the bleachers. He stopped and turned. "I'm going to try tomorrow."

If Hiccup's face could turn any more red, it did just then. He didn't even nod or say anything, just sat, trying to cover up his face. Toothless was already down at the end and beginning to jog around the field.

Hiccup put his sketchbook back into his bag. And dropped his pencil. He decided it wasn't worth it. He had many others. He tried to not look over at Toothless and his tanned skin with lithe, rippling muscle – oh, know he was thinking about it.

Hiccup wished he could be out there.

…

…

 **I'm going to have some trouble including Astrid, the twins, Fishlegs, and Snotlout. Obviously, Snotlout not as much trouble because he's also one of the bullies. But he isn't heartless. In my mind, he actually does care for Hiccup, he just doesn't show him because he has a reputation, and some other stuff that we'll get to in the story.**

 **I have such a hard time portraying Fishlegs. It gives me a headache. I apologize in advance.**

 **I'm not sure when I'm going to go into Toothless' POV, but it will be a fair amount of chapters. Hiccup's POV is going to be priority for right now. Many things will come to light and will be clearer when I have Toothless' thoughts written out. I vaguely have some ideas about his background and his real name picked out.**

 **Thanks so much!**


	4. Chapter 4

On his way home, Hiccup noticed something strange.

Well, not really _strange_. But extremely _painful_. There was the sneaking sparks of ice, and then there was fire spreading all through his leg. Tears came to his eyes and he faltered in his walk. He bit his tongue so hard he tasted blood, halting for a moment, taking a few deep breathes. The pain only spread more like rapid wildfire.

His home was only three houses away. He wasn't sure if he could make it without collapsing. This had happened before. It meant he needed a new prosthetic. Not a bigger one. They wore down over the period of a couple months because his foot hadn't been a clean cut. The angle was strange and hard to duplicate, so he had to get a new one every so often. He just had to wait for the pain and then get a new one. The simple thought didn't really make it any easier for him.

He took a step forward and stumbled, barely catching his feet in time to stay upright. He couldn't just collapse in someone's yard. He lived on a wealthy street. People didn't share their space. If they saw him, they would probably recognize him, but they would just yell at him until he left. Somehow. No one knew about his loss of a limb because he didn't want to tell anyone. It was just another thing to get bullied for. Everyone knew about the accident, but no one knew the cost he'd paid.

He inhaled sharply, taking a risk he'd done so many times before. He leant forward, and began running as fast as he could.

Blazes of lava traveled over his skin, through his bones, and up his lower thigh. He made quiet sounds of pain as he kept taking one fleeting step after another, hoping no one would see him. He soon made it to his house, slamming the door behind him, and collapsing at the bottom of the staircase. He hefted himself onto the first stair with wobbling arms and completely lifted his leg off the floor. With shaking hands, he unclipped the prosthetic and let it drop to the floor. Relief swept over him and the pain subsided besides the occasional spark of a phantom pain. He wiped the tears from his eyes and pulled out his cell phone from his back pocket, dragging his finger over his contacts until he clicked on the right one.

It rang. Then the button was pushed with a _click_.

" _This is Dr. Lisa from Berk Orthopedics. How can I help you?"_

"Uh, hey, Dr. Lisa," Hiccup said. He rolled up his jeans and looked down at his stub of a leg. "It's Hiccup. I…need a new prosthetic."

There was a bit of shuffling of paper. _"Hey, Hun. I had a feeling you would need a new one. How was the pain?"_

"On a scale of one to ten? Four."

There was a sigh. _"Good job. And…_ " Hiccup couldn't hear the growing smile in her voice. _"I think I found something."_

Hiccup's brow crinkled. "What?"

" _A prosthetic specialist contacted me yesterday. He said he was very interested in your case and can guarantee he can make a prosthetic that will give you no pain and will last at least a year and a half."_

Hiccup sat up so fast he almost knocked his head against the banister. " _What?_ Are you _serious?_ "

" _Yes! He says he can give it to you within two weeks!"_

A huge grin crept onto his face. "Oh my God! Thank you so much!"

" _You're welcome, Hun. Now, I'll give you call when I get it and you can come in, okay?"_

He rolled down his pant leg and sighed with a soft smile. "Yeah. Just let me know."

" _Ok. Bye."_

"Bye." He clicked the end button and stared at the wall for a moment. Then, he jumped up in place with a triumphant shout.

He quickly dialed his dad's number and held his phone to his ear. It rang…rang…rang…

Voicemail.

" _This is Stoick Haddock. I can't come to the phone right now. Leave a message,"_ his father's gruff voice said.

Beep.

Hiccup swallowed thickly, the smile fading from his face. "Uh…hey, dad. I'm not sure where you are, but, um, that's cool. I don't know when you're going to be back. But guess what?" His lips quirked, then fell. "I…got a call from Dr. Lisa. She said that a specialist was really interested in my case and will have a new prosthetic for me in a couple weeks. It…It doesn't cause pain and will last a while…Isn't that great?" Hiccup bit his lip. "Okay…um. Sorry to bother you, I just wanted to tell you. So – bye."

He clicked the end button. His dad probably wouldn't hear the message at all, but it was worth a try. Again, he needed to stop hoping. His dad made promises that were empty, and Hiccup had just stopped asking him to keep them. But it didn't make it easier. He sighed deeply, glancing to the metal contraption on the ground. He'd have to wear it until he got a new one. It would be painful if he walked to long, so he was going to have to take the bus home. The city bus. No way in hell he was getting on a school bus. That was just a death wish for him.

His mind drifted back to earlier. Maybe he would be able to say yes to Toothless. Maybe he could walk on the field. But that wouldn't be for a couple weeks, and it was wrong to just say no to the guy. He didn't understand why he even asked. Toothless was one of the most popular guys in school. He could get anyone to play with him with a simple question. He not only asked – well, told – Hiccup to play, he said he was going to ask tomorrow. What was with that? Was he being pitied? Why would someone like Toothless, at the top of the social hierarchy, want to pity him? He wasn't even worth his time.

Hiccup fiddled with his phone for a minute more before sitting up and grabbing his prosthetic and swinging his bag over his shoulder. He used what small muscle he had in his left leg to lift himself up, bracing his weight on the banister with his free hand. He conjured up all his energy and hopped up the stairs to his room, and sitting at his desk, tossing the blasted fake limb onto his bed.

He huffed and leaned back, not wanting to be pitied.

…

True to his word, while Hiccup was sitting in his usual place, Toothless came up the stairs with his football.

He held it out. "Did you change your mind?"

Hiccup stared at the football. It had worn edges in the leather and the color was faded a bit. His ears heated up at the intensity of Toothless' stare. He cleared his throat and shook his head. "Uh, sorry, Toothless."

Toothless shrugged and drew the football back to himself. "Okay."

"Why?" Hiccup suddenly blurted. He set his pencil down, conflicted. "Why _me_? Is this a trick or something? Is Collin going to jump out?"

Toothless shook his head and rotated the ball in his hands. He leaned back lazily, like he was actually comfortable standing. "No."

Hiccup let out an aggravated breath. "Then – Then why? Are you pitying me? I do not like to be pitied."

Toothless pursed his lips, and his cheeks lifted like he was trying not to laugh. "No. I don't pity people. Why would I?"

"That's my question," Hiccup said, looking back over to the trees. He sighed, his shoulders sinking. "I'm…sorry. I shouldn't be so rude."

"It's not rude," Toothless said. "It's instinct." He held out the football and raised his eyebrows.

"You sure are insistent," Hiccup muttered. He said louder, "Toothless…I really – I can't. I told you that. I, um, can probably in a couple weeks or so." His cheeks colored. "Maybe."

Toothless nodded. "Okay."

Then he left and started jogging.

Hiccup watched him. "Strange."

…

"Hey."

Hiccup almost jumped five feet in the air. He turned from his open locker, fumbling with his book when he caught sight of who greeted him. "W…What?"

Astrid rolled her eyes. "I said hi."

Hiccup looked around. Students bustled in the hallway, chatting and gossiping away. A few looked at them. No one spoke to Hiccup except Collin and Snotlout, and they just picked on him. _And Toothless_ , Hiccup thought at the back of his mind. _But he's just…pitying me?_

"Uh, hi?" Hiccup said, glancing in all directions in case Collin decided to come up. He looked back to the blonde in front of him. She looked absolutely bored and uninterested with crossed arms and a scowl on her face. "Can...I help you with something?"

Her entire body inflated with an annoyed sigh. "Yes. I need your help."

 _Why the_ hell _would she need my help?_ Hiccup thought frantically. _Is she going to just lead me to a bunch of jocks? Or worse – Snotlout?_

"Um…with what?" Hiccup asked hesitantly.

Her scowl deepened. "Snotlout."

"Oh?"

Her lips tinned as she glanced over her shoulder. "You're his cousin, so I think you would be able to help me the most." She clicked her tongue. "He won't get off my ass. How can I stop him from flirting with me?"

Okay…why the hell would he know? Snotlout may be his cousin, but he was also one of his main bullies that only snarled at him when sharing a word.

"I…" Hiccup paused. "I don't know. Why are you asking me?"

"He's your cousin," she said. "I'm not stupid. I know the crap he says to you. But you've known him the longest. Maybe you know how to tell him to hop off?"

Hiccup _had_ seen Snotlout flirt before. It kind of sucked. He was all macho and trying to impress them only to end up looking like a giant idiot. He didn't even realize. He thought it worked perfectly.

"Um…" Hiccup started. "I don't really think you…can."

Astrid looked annoyed. "Seriously?"

"Uh, yeah." Hiccup shuffled his foot. "I've never really seen him give up. I'm not sure how to get him to stop. It's not like he loses interest or anything, he just randomly decides one day."

She rubbed her temples, muttering, "That's just great. Lucky me." She sighed and gave him one last look before leaving. "Thanks for the help."

He watched her walk away, dumbfounded, then shook his head. "Today is so weird."

…

…

 **I told you I had a plan for Astrid. Don't worry, there's more to come.**

 **I really did want to include Hiccup's loss of a limb in this. This is an au; it's not going to fit with the movie that much in the way I'm thinking. Obviously, his dad and Gobber know about his leg, but no one else. I don't want to give away anything else.**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	5. Chapter 5

"Alright, what's bothering ya, lad?"

Hiccup stopped gathering plates onto a tray, glancing up. "Gobber, I'm working."

"And I'm ye boss," Gobber rebounded. He crossed his arms over his apron. "Go on. Spill."

Hiccup bit the inside of his cheek. Continued to gather plates. "I can't talk while I'm working. I'm going to drop something."

Gobber came over, sweeping away the dish he had just lifted and set it back down on the metallic counter. Hiccup sniffed, trying to not cough from the strong smell of pepper in the kitchen. It was steamy and humid, even more so because it was a weekend. Hiccup felt the need to do something so he added a shift to get out some energy. Problem was, Gobber wasn't going to let him do anything if he didn't talk.

"We have many waiters, Hicca'," Gobber said, gesturing over to one of the waitresses taking a dish out of the kitchen. "Ye have plenty of time. Go."

"There's nothing bothering me," Hiccup said, scowling as he tried to reach over Gobber's shoulder to grab the dish he'd taken. He was too short. "C'mon, I don't want to keep them waiting."

"They can wait a damn minute," Gobber said. "I'm not going to let ye until ye spill."

Hiccup sighed through his nose, shooting the man the most annoyed look he could. Gobber knew just what to do to get on his nerves.

"It's this guy at school," Hiccup, hoping he wasn't giving any hints to what his sexuality was. "He…He's really popular and he keeps talking to me after school. He keeps trying to get me to play football with him. I thought he was pitying me or something, but…I know he isn't. It's strange."

"Oh?" Gobber quipped. "Is this the guy you were talkin' about the other week?"

Hiccup nodded. "Yeah. All week he's been trying to get me to play, and…you know I can't with my leg and all. I mean, maybe I will when I get my new one. But it's just odd. He's like… _really_ popular."

"Well, he probably likes ya," Gobber said.

Hiccup's face lit up like a Christmas light. "W-What?"

"I said he probably likes ya," Gobber repeated. He crossed his arms. "He cute or somethin'? If ye like 'im that much, just tell him why."

Hiccup stood still, his heart pounding in his chest.

Gobber snorted. "You t'ink I'm stupid? I've known you were gay since you were little – "

"Shhh!" Hiccup hissed, glancing around to the oblivious chefs and working waiters and waitresses. "I've had enough embarrassment for the past week. You don't need to make it _worse_."

Honestly, Hiccup wasn't all that surprised Gobber knew. He wasn't very good at keeping secrets, even if they were really personal. Gobber was like a father to him since his own father was never around.

"If ye like 'im, go for it," Gobber said. "He obviously likes you."

Hiccup let out a nervous chuckle. "I don't think you understand, Gobber. He's straight."

"Then make a friend!" Gobber exclaimed. He shoved the plate back to him. "C'mon, lad. Get your shit togetha. Don't let it eat ya up!"

Hiccup stumbled as Gobber nudged him out of the kitchen. He nearly dropped the plate as he set it on the tray. He muttered under his breath, heading out to his table.

It was loud. Well, as loud as it usual got. Almost all the tables and booths were filled with people chatting quietly. It was a weekend, and Gobber's restaurant was well known around Berk, so it wasn't surprising to him. He passed by the tables, not bothering to even look at any of the people underneath the lit tables in the red leather seats. He looked out the large windows that had light spilling inside. Something caught his eye. A silver marcades sat in one of the parking spots. It was empty, but Hiccup had seen it before.

It was Collin's car.

His eyes widened and he faltered.

Then he bumped into someone.

He managed to keep his grip on the tray (six years of being a waiter really helped). A hand came out and caught on of the waters before it spilled. He straightened himself. "Oh my God, I'm so sorry. I didn't see you – "

He looked up to who it was and stopped short. Shaggy dark hair and piercing green eyes. Like a deer in headlights, he stood still with eyes the size of dinner plates and mouth bobbing. "T – Toothless?"

"Hiccup?" Toothless looked just as confused as he did. "What are you doing here?"

Hiccup cleared his throat, all shyness he usually didn't have working coming back to him in a heartbeat. He looked away. "Uh, I work here. What are you doing here?"

"I came with Collin –"

"Aye, Toothless! What are you doing standing there?" a voice called out.

Hiccup's eyes darted around. For once, he was thankful for his small size because Toothless was tall enough to block him from Collin. Toothless looked back for a second, then back to him, before waving his hand forward for him to get away.

Hiccup turned on his heel and fled.

He went back to the kitchen, not caring about delivering the food. He set it on the counter. One of the Chefs, Louie, gave him a confused look. "Is there something wrong with it?"

"Uh, um, well, no. No, it's fine," Hiccup got out. "Nothing's wrong with it. I…I just – I have to go. Tell Gobber something came up."

Hiccup yanked off the apron around his waist and shoved it in his cubby, running out the back door like a bat out of hell. He didn't see Gobber, and he was relieved because he really didn't feel like explaining why he was leaving so fast. Pain flared up his leg, and he cursed under his breath, running out the back and through the plants. He stopped at the sidewalk by the street and restrained himself from taking weight off his right leg. A few passing people gave him strange looks, but he ignored them and kept walking uneasily until he reached the bus. With slipped out his phone and sent Gobber a text saying sorry and he'd forgot to do something important at home.

How many _thanks you's_ was he at now?

…

 _Clatter._

Hiccup looked up from his sketch. Toothless walked up the stairs with his hands shoved in his pockets. He didn't have his football this time, and that's what threw Hiccup off. He watched as Toothless slipped on the level below him, leaning back, looking up at the sky. His hair fell away from his face, so Hiccup could see his strong jawline and high cheekbones with intense eyes.

Hiccup bit his lip, unsure. "Um…what…what are you doing?"

"Sitting."

"Oh." He shifted, trying not to stare at how revealing Toothless' shirt was. It hung low on his collar bone and was ripped on the sides so they drooped down, showing slender muscles and sun-kissed skin. "That's…nice?" He cleared his throat. "Um. Thanks for Saturday. I don't know what would've happened if you hadn't blocked me."

"No need to thank me," Toothless said. "I already told you Collin's a douche-bag. He's also an obsessive douche-bag. The guy doesn't know when to shut up."

Hiccup's brow furrowed. "Why did you help me, then?"

Toothless shrugged. "I don't know."

Hiccup watched him wearily. "Why would someone like you be helping me even when they don't know a reason why?"

Toothless craned his neck back to look at him. "People like me? Is that a good or a bad thing?"

"You're popular."

"I don't care about popularity."

"Then why do you hang out with Collin?" Hiccup asked before he could stop himself. His eyes widened. "I'm sorry. That was rude – "

"When it comes to Collin, there isn't a _why_ ," Toothless said, shifting his eyes back over to the sky. "It's all a pile of clichés. I'm the quarterback, a football player. He's the captain. It's default that we have to be _friends_." Toothless said 'friends' like he was comparing a rock to water. "But" – He raised his eyebrows to catch Hiccup's look " – unlike him, I don't really care. I'm just going with the flow. I can get out whenever I want. But that doesn't mean there will be fights and stuff like that. I don't care about what people think of me. I'm my own person."

Hiccup looked away, a bit dumbfounded. "That's…nice."

Toothless snorted – actually snorted. "You don't talk much, do you?"

"I should say the same for you," Hiccup said. Toothless flicked his eyes towards him, and Hiccup looked away, trying to bite down a blush. "Thanks for…everything. It wasn't just Saturday. You saved my ass more than once."

Toothless ran a hand through his hair – oh no that was hot – and pursed his lips. "You're welcome."

Hiccup set down his pencil, nervously wringing his hands together. "I'm sorry. It's just…it's weird talking to someone like this. I don't know if I can…well…"

"Trust me?" Toothless supplied. "Trust is earned. The only thing I can give you right now is my word. I'm not setting you up for a joke or a trap or anything like that. We're just talking."

"Why?"

"I don't know."

Hiccup bit his lip. "You don't know a lot, do you?"

Toothless gave the shortest chuckle. "Some things aren't meant to be known. Some are just instinct."

"Are you a writer?"

"Are you being sarcastic?"

Hiccup smiled, then dropped it. He knew how strange he looked when he smiled. "I guess I am."

Toothless set his legs on a lower level. "So…why don't you want to pass the ball?"

Hiccup looked away. "I'm not coordinated."

"That's not it."

"I have no aim."

"Nope."

"Have you looked at me? I'm a toothpick."

"I already told you, you are just as capable as any of us. Especially Collin. I'm not stupid, just curious."

Hiccup blew out a breath. "It's not that. I really do want to, but…" He bit his lip. "I can't."

"You say it like you physically can't," Toothless said.

"Exactly," Hiccup quipped. He pushed away his nervousness and knocked his fake foot against the bleachers, making a _clang clang clang_. "I can't. In a few days when I get a new prosthetic, I probably can."

Toothless' eyebrows raised, and he shifted his weight to glance down at his leg. He looked away. Hiccup thought he saw him look uncertain. "Oh. I didn't know."

"Exactly." Hiccup drummed his fingers on his sketchbook, hoping he didn't make Toothless think he was more of a freak then before. "I need a new one because this one's causing me pain. I'm getting it pretty soon."

"Why are you telling me this?" Toothless asked.

"I don't know."

"Are you mocking me?"

Hiccup laid his chin in his palm. "Yes. Truth is, trust is earned. I think you earned enough. Not too much, though. I'm still suspicious of you."

Toothless looked over to the tree-line. "You have every right to. I don't blame you, either."

"Don't ruin the moment. I'd rather not think about my countless bullies right now."

Toothless waved his hand. "Don't worry. Bad things happen to bad people. Collin will get his ass handed to him eventually."

Hiccup scribbled aimlessly around his sketch. "How long will I have to wait?"

"I don't know."

…

…

 **I want to make it clear. Hiccup is not a trusting person. With his father, mother, bullies, and overall betrayals, shit has seriously gone down in his life. He is conscious of what people can do to him.**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	6. Chapter 6

Hiccup gazed up at his bedroom walls that were covered in random sketches, charcoal smudges, and pain splatters. He wondered if there was a way to make it all look a little less dirty while keeping his stuff up there, but he knew there wasn't a possible way, and he was okay with that. The only reason he was thinking about it was because he was in a cleaning mood. His room wasn't something he'd always paid attention to in the past despite the fact in was the main place where he could actually get away from the world. He kept the floor clean so he would trip with his prosthetic, but clothes were tossed in corners and laid across his bed and desk chair. His desk was especially the worst – littered with pencils, paint, and expensive markers. He really did need to clean.

But first, he clean out from underneath his bed. Who knew what could've died down there?

He dropped to the floor, happy to get pressure off his leg, and peeked underneath the dark blue bedsheet. It was completely dark. He couldn't even see anything because random objects were piled high. He bit back a sigh and reached out, latching out onto the first thing he touched. He pulled out a mound of clothes. What the hell? He only wore green shirts and jeans. He didn't even know he had this much clothes.

He tossed them behind him, mentally naming the pile the 'charity pile'. He began dragging out jeans and random, worn band shirts and paint splattered denim, tossing anything he didn't want to cheat into the 'charity pile', which was most of them. He kept a few pairs of pants that weren't too ripped up and some oversized shirts that he could wear to bed. His hands hit something hard, and he pulled back a moment, cursing at the throbbing in his finger. He reached out, and felt around the object. Once he had a good grip on it, he pulled it out. He leaned back and stared at it curiously. It was a brown box with dark trim and a clip.

He unclipped it and yanked the top open. Inside, there was a white envelope on top of a large, thick book. He took the letter, turning it over. His name was written on the back. He turned it back over. It had been open; the top was carefully cut open. He slid out the piece of paper hidden inside. His fingers didn't quite grab onto an even smaller folded paper, and it fell to his thighs. Tears came to his eyes. It was a picture of him and his mother when he was small, about five or six. Her dark hair fell in a braid over her shoulder and there was a gleeful smile spread over her face as she held him on her shoulders.

He remembered this. He remembered when the picture was taken. And he remembered reading the letter a few years ago.

He unfolded the paper. Slanted cursive writing was scrawled out in precise lines and eloquent speech. He ran his fingers over the worn ink, sniffling slightly.

 _My dearest Hiccup,_

 _I am not sure when you will read this. If you are, I am probably gone by now. Maybe I grew old with you and your father and died. Maybe I had an illness. Or maybe there was an accident. I don't know. But I write this to you just in case. I am always one for precautions._

 _Yesterday, you drew a picture. It was of one of your favorite things: a dragon. You called this one a Night Fury. It was one of the most detailed and beautiful pictures you've ever drawn. You're only seven, and you've shown amazing artistic ability. Let me tell you, you didn't get it from your father._

 _You are one of the best things that have ever happened to me. There are only two: you and your father. You two mean the world to me and I wouldn't trade anything for you. You may have not been expected, but you are a blessing. A wonderful, wonderful blessing. I couldn't ask for anything better._

 _While I'm gone, please try to get along with your father. You know how stubborn his is, that stupid Viking. He has the tendency to ignore problems; he's a very passive-aggressive person. Very. You're the sarcastic one of the family. Me – I'm the one who has to keep you guys from arguing over the simplest things. You're only seven, and very mature for your age. Don't take the for granted, but don't let that control your life, either. Have some fun._

 _And, honey, I know you're gay. Find a man that loves you very much._

 _No matter what, I love you._

 _Love, Mom._

He slipped the letter back into the envelope, and wiped at the tears on his cheeks. He couldn't help but smile. His passion and talent for drawing wasn't the only thing he'd gotten from his mother. She'd been a beautiful, kind woman with a heart as warm as the desert. She'd been a sucker for kids and people in need, always putting herself before others. Hiccup had always wished he could be like her. But he really wasn't sure how.

He dove his hands back inside and lifted the book. It was rough and the spine was cracked a bit. The cover was made out of thick light brown leather that had jagged stretch lines. After so many years, Hiccup was surprised it was still together. It was in pretty good condition after sitting in an old box underneath his bed for so long.

He ran his fingers over the jet-black words that read "The Book of Dragons". It was something he and his mother had made up when he was little. He'd always been imaginative, and he's always loved dragons, so Valka decided they could make a book of them. Every few days or so, sometimes every day, Hiccup would dream up a new dragon, with the food and size and everything, and they would jot it down and she would help him drawing it since he'd been very enthusiastic about sketching at that age.

He turned the cover to where he and his mom wrote their names. He flipped through all the pages quickly, raking his eyes greedily over the old words in ink. He'd created so many it even shocked him today. He still had a spot in his heart for dragons. He drew them every so often, but he had lost his childhood mind when his mother died and he was left to fend for himself. It made him sad. He used to be so lively.

He flipped to the last page. A sleek black dragon was curled over the page. It had short legs, and a rounded head with large eyes and elegant wings. He remembered telling his mother the Night Fury was his favorite dragon ever. She'd asked why. He said it reminded him of him.

Looking at the dragon now, he pursed his lips. He quickly grabbed a stray coloring pencil on his desk and scribbled inside the blank eyes, adding slits for pupils. With a shake of his head, he made the pupils bigger. They were warm and kind, but still hardened. He outlined them with an electric green.

The dragon looked like it'd finally gained back something it'd never had.

Hiccup gazed at it, admiring his work. The dragon was perched, crouching. Not to pounce on prey. But it looked curious. Cautious, but curious none the less. Its font paw was hunched over to take a slow, hesitant step while the haunches were up high, the belly and torso bowed down to graze against the ground. Curious. Hesitant. But hooded.

It reminded him of Toothless.

…

Hiccup's locker slammed shut right in his face, and he didn't have enough time to be thankful he'd drawn his hand away. A shadow casted over his scrawny body, and he didn't have to look to know it was Collin. He stared at his locker, annoyed to no end, but not showing it. He didn't want to piss off his bully further.

"Hey, freak," Collin's rough voice said. "You shouldn't block the hallway."

Hiccup knew Collin was just trying to find an excuse to try to get on his nerves, or hurt him some way emotionally. Hiccup was too small in general to even block anyone from walking in the hallway, and, even if he did, they would push him over like an elephant through ant hills.

"I'm talking to you, fag," Collin hissed, slamming his arm against the locker, right next to Hiccup's face. The boy jumped. "A little bird told me Astrid Hofferson was talking to you the other day. Is that true?"

Hiccup stayed silent, biting the inside of his cheek and glaring at the metal of his locker. Collin barked, "Hey!" and gathered unwanted attention from many passing students.

"Answer my question!" Collin demanded. "Why was she talking to _you_?"

Hiccup held back a sigh, trying to look anywhere except Collin and the students that had stopped and crowded around them to watch the scene. "I don't know, Collin."

"Don't get smart with me," Collin spat. A coy smile spread across his lips. "Why would she want to talk to someone like _you_? I know it's a waste of time on my part to even acknowledge you, but her? She shouldn't even know you exist. You shouldn't even exist at all."

Hiccup held his books tighter. "She just asked me a question about homework," he said quietly. "She didn't want to talk to me at all. Just another person taking advantage."

Collin snorted. "There's nothing to take advantage of."

"Okay." Hiccup tried to slide right past him, but his shoulder was caught by a hand as hard as metal. He was pushed backwards and pinned to the locker. His leg throbbed and sparks of pain started to travel over his skin.

"Now, now." Collin smashed his shoulder into the locker harder. "Let's not be hasty." He clenched his fist, and Hiccup knew well it was a threat. And the threat was nowhere near empty. "It's been a while since I've gotten a hit on you."

"Hey, Collin."

Hiccup's eyes flicked over to where the voice sounded. It was Astrid. She had her arms folded together and was leaning on one foot, her hip popping out and looking like she owned the place. Ruffnut shadowed behind her, giving her a look that said _What in the fucking hell are you doing?_ While tugging anxiously on her long blonde braids. Hiccup stood, completely pinned against the locker, his heart pounding in his chest. What in the world was going on?

"Aye, Astrid," Collin said smoothly. "You got a reason for interrupting _business_?"

Hiccup noted that they were obviously not on the best terms. Astrid gave him a hard look, and Collin returned it, looking more annoyed. The blonde set her hands on her hip. "What're you doing?"

"I already told you," Collin said tightly, "business."

"Well, that business is going to have to be cut short." She glanced around at the students looking at her confused for interrupting the one-sided fight. "Well? Get the _hell_ out of here!"

Students scrambled away, nearly dropping their belongings. Hiccup could already hear the gossiping away about the situation, which didn't look to be on the best of terms right now. He glanced down at the hand still holding his shoulder in a steel-like grip, and then back to Astrid.

"You know not to cut business short, Astrid," Collin said.

"Yeah, well, this guy needs to be in one piece." Astrid inspected her bland nails nonchalantly. "He's helping me with an assignment and I don't want to be looking at a bruised face."

Collin looked between them with a cool stare. Then, grinding his teeth, he let go. Hiccup grabbed his shoulder as the pain intensified for a second before dying down to a throb. He bit his tongue, still aware of the pain in his leg, and shuffled away slightly. Collin gave him one last snarl before stalking away down the hallway.

Hiccup looked at Astrid with wide eyes. Her expression didn't change. "T-Thanks," he managed.

She turned away. "Now we're even, even though you didn't tell me anything useful. And _don't_ expect me to do that again. I don't stand up for runts."

Hiccup didn't really care about the last comment. He felt grateful. Astrid had a soul – at least, some parts of one.

She walked away with a confused, blubbering Ruffnut at her heels, and Hiccup hurried off to his last class, thinking seeing Toothless.

…

…

 **I wanted to add some Valka and how close her and Hiccup were. And his drawings and his love for dragons. I'm trying to do some development with Collin, too, just to show what his weaknesses are and what will stop him. And some Astrid.**

 **Thanks.**


	7. Chapter 7

A Twizzler was shoved under his nose.

Hiccup looked at it curiously. "What?"

Toothless shook the red candy. "Here."

Hiccup reached out and hesitantly, sniffing it. "Is it poisoned?"

Toothless shook the bag, snatched one out, and chomped off a bite. "Yep."

Hiccup took a bite. He liked Twizzlers. "I didn't know football players were allowed to eat candy."

Toothless stared out at the tree line. "Well, I do."

Hiccup crossed his legs along the bleachers. "Why Twizzlers?"

"They're my favorite." Hiccup raised an eyebrow. Toothless rolled his eyes.

"I like them, too." Hiccup yanked off another bite. "But I like chocolate much better."

"You're welcome for getting us some Twizzlers," Toothless said dryly.

"You know what would be good?" Hiccup inquired thoughtfully. "Chocolate covered Twizzlers. Are those a thing? I would pay for that."

He glanced down to add to his sketch, but caught Toothless looking up at him. His lips were pulled up into a small smile, like he was trying to not laugh. "What?"

"You have a very sugary appetite for someone so small."

Hiccup smacked his lips. "I know you got Twizzlers, but did you have to bring my size into this?"

Toothless' lips lifted more. They curled to the side and lifted his cheekbones, like a half smile that was crooked – maybe even as crooked as his. Hiccup bit down a blush.

"How old are you anyway?" Toothless asked.

"We _are_ both juniors," Hiccup said. "Sixteen." He glanced down at his scrawny self and poked his stomach. "I do look like some undeveloped, prepubesant girl, though. Can't seem to gain wait even with that chocolate."

Toothless gave a full smile. The left part of his face lifted more than the right into a charming grin. Hiccup really did blush this time, and cleared his throat, looking away before he could be caught. "Uh…yeah."

"I'm a junior and _I'm_ seventeen," Toothless said. He took a bite of a new Twizzler and gazed at the sky – what he usually did.

"Oh?" Hiccup bit his lip. "You…You should smile more, you know. It's nice."

Hiccup's stomach dropped when Toothless' smile did. "No thanks."

"Why?" Hiccup asked quietly.

"Because."

"Because why?"

"Because you're pushy."

Hiccup scoffed. "Am not. Besides, be complimented. This _is_ coming from the school fag."

Hiccup was surprised to see Toothless shift his feet – as if he was deterred. "Don't say that," he said. It wasn't in his usual gruff voice.

Hiccup swallowed down his sudden shyness. "Say what?"

Toothless glanced up at him. "You're not a fag."

Confused, Hiccup said, "Uh, well. Hate to break it to you, but I am."

"I don't like that word," Toothless said, a bit snappily. His face softened, if even the tiniest bit. "This just shows that Collin and the others are getting to you."

Hiccup's face alighted in a deep red. He wrung his hands together. "I…I really don't let that stuff bother me, Toothless."

"I saw the fight," Toothless suddenly said. He had an edge to his voice Hiccup had never heard. "It was the end, and I couldn't get there before Astrid, but I saw you. You looked mad…and sad."

"Toothless, really. I – It doesn't – "

"Just drop it, okay?" Toothless said. He looked back over to the trees. "I didn't mean to bring it up."

Not wanting this to end on a bad note, Hiccup worked on instinct. He grabbed a Twizzler and slapped Toothless with it. Then he dropped it, realizing what he'd just done. "Oh…Oh my God. Toothless, I didn't mean – "

Toothless busted out laughing. The sound was like Christmas bells and beautiful music all ringing at the same time. Hiccup spluttered, dropping his pencil beneath the bleachers. He looked after it. "Ah, damn it. Not again."

Toothless started laughing harder. Hiccup's face turned boiling hot, even managing to cover his many freckles. Just weeks ago he'd never even heard Toothless speak, and now he was hearing him laugh uncontrollably. It was a surprised, gleeful laugh that made his chest warm and his hands twitch. "W-What?"

"You – " Toothless wheezed, "You just slapped me with a Twizzler!"

"Is this nervous laughing? Hiccup asked, nervous himself. "O-Or, like, some sort of angry laughing?"

Toothless scrubbed at his eyes, calming his breathing, still chuckling every few moments. "That – That's normal laughing, Hiccup. It's what you do when something funny happens." He looked back up at the boy, and laughed shortly again. "Oh my God."

Hiccup tried to rid the redness of his cheeks. "That – I didn't – I mean – I – that was so rude! How is that funny?"

Toothless chortled. "You slapped me with a Twizzler. What's not funny about it? The best part is you did it instantly. You didn't even think about it."

"Do you want me to slap you with my hand, then?"

"No. Not really. Do you want me to slap you with a Twizzler?"

"Very funny, wise guy." Hiccup took another Twizzler. Toothless looked at him as if he was bracing himself to be slapped with candy again. Hiccup couldn't help but smile.

…

"You slapped tha guy with a Twizzler?" Gobber repeated blandly.

Hiccup nodded, smiling softly at the memory. "I got mad at him, and slapped him."

"Wit' candy."

"Yeah. Why?"

Gobber sighed. "Is that your way of flirting or somethin'?"

Hiccup's ears turned red. "No. I told you: I got mad at him."

"So ye slapped him wit' candy?"

"I wasn't really thinking about it!"

Hiccup flicked a piece of rice at his boss. Gobber tried to dodge it, but with his large frame, he couldn't maneuver through the kitchen fast enough. Hiccup bent down under one of the cabinets, grabbed a beer, and tossed it to Gobber. Gobber caught it swiftly, and popped the cap off with his hook of a hand, taking a large gulp.

He held it out. "You want some?"

Hiccup waved him away. "You know I don't like to drink."

Gobber shrugged and sat back against the sink. Hiccup grabbed a towel and began wiping away water from the cleaned dishes, setting them to the side. The kitchen was empty except for them because it was really late. Hiccup didn't usually stay late, but he'd been pretty jumpy with energy like last Saturday and decided he could put it to use and add some time to his shift. It was beneficial for the chefs, too, since they wouldn't be the ones washing the dishes, and could go home early.

"Uh, lad?" Gobber said. Hiccup paused, knowing that hesitant tone of voice.

"Yeah?" he asked.

Gobber tugged at his beard, swirling his beer in his hand. "I…well, I got a call from your father yesterday."

Hiccup perked up. "Oh? Maybe he called me."

He pulled out his phone from the back of his apron. The screen switched to life. No missed calls. He deflated, and returned his phone back to its place. "Yeah…no," he mumbled. "Like usual."

Gobber let out a long breath. "He told me he would be home soon. Didn't say what day, just soon. And…I'm really not sure what 'soon' means, but he told me to let you know."

"Why didn't he just call me?" Hiccup muttered irritably, scrubbing harder at a plate. "He could have just said 'I'll be home soon', or sent me a goddamn text."

Gobber grunted. "C'mon, Hicca'. You know 'ow he is. He just doesn't…like…all of…this."

"You just gestured to all of me."

"Yeah, I know," Gobber said. "You are well aware o' how he is. He hasn't been the best father – "

"Gobber, I've had to survive by myself since I was fucking ten years old!" Hiccup snapped. "Don't you remember how you found me? I didn't know how to do anything! I was _ten_!"

"Yes, I remember – "

"And he doesn't even know about it," Hiccup stated, scrubbing harder at a cup and slamming it aside. He grabbed another dish, taking out his anger at the utensils. "He's too selfish and self-centered to even notice he still has a kid. If I had died that night – "

"Don't you speak like tha'!" Gobber snapped loudly, shutting Hiccup up in an instant. "Okay, he's been a terrible father. But you're still his son. I know well you've accepted that, but you've got to give him a chance."

"I gave him a chance, Gobber," Hiccup said lowly. "I gave him a chance to come back when he left."

"That's ya past, laddie," Gobber said softly. "You once tol' me you believe in second chances. Try to give him one." He took a swig of his beer. "And if it doesn't work – well, try to give 'im a third chance. He loves ya, Hicca'."

"I left him a message the other day to tell him that a specialist is making a painless prosthetic and he still didn't answer me." Hiccup bit the inside of his cheek. "And, somehow, he still called someone else."

Gobber looked surprised. "…You didn't tell me that, lad." He sighed. "I'm happy for ye, Hicca'. And if Stoick heard the message, he is, too. He just….doesn't know how to show it."

"So he shows it by leaving me to die?" Oh no. His voice cracked. He was getting choked up. He quickly blinked away any tears and inhaled a large breath. "Sorry…I know he loves me. I love him, too. But it's really hard to love someone when they can't return it with even the smallest smile."

Gobber took an even longer swig. "Did I say he was a terrible father? I meant he was the worst. But you still have to try to get on terms with him." He paused. "What if he left one day and never came back? What if was in an accident like Valka? Do you want him to leave knowing he'd fucked up?"

Hiccup closed his eyes tightly, setting down the dish he'd been drying. He stripped off his apron and pulled out his phone, pocketing it in his jeans. "Don't talk about my mom."

He turned on his heel to leave. Then he stopped. Then his cheeks were wet. Then he turned back and ran to Gobber, giving him the biggest hug he could around his large girth. He started crying…He didn't want to think about his mother. He sure as hell didn't want to think about his father. He didn't want to think about bullies, or school, or Gobber. He wanted to be somewhere safe where he could forget about it all.

He wanted to be back on that football field.

…

…

 **I was actually eating Twizzlers during this and smiling like an idiot.**

 **I revealed a brief part of Hiccup's past, got Toothless expressing some emotion, showed how all the negativity in Hiccup's life really did affect him without knowing it.**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	8. Chapter 8

_Ring._

 _Ring._

 _Ring._

Every student in the classroom looked over to Hiccup. Said boy nervously pulled out his phone and turned off his ringer, catching sight of the caller.

"Mr. Haddock, would you be so kind and turn off your device?" the teacher said snappily.

"Oh, um, I'm sorry," Hiccup stuttered. "But…" He bit his lip. "Um, I'm really sorry, but c-can I please take this? It's really, really important."

The teacher sighed. "Mr. Haddock, this will be your only call – "

"Thank you!" Hiccup called as he scrambled out of his desk, clicking the talk button before the call would go to voicemail. Students in the classroom laughed, and he ignored the snotty remark from Collin.

After shutting the door behind him, he lifted the phone to his ear. "Hey, Dr. Lisa."

" _Hey, hun!"_ chirped a voice. _"This is the call! I got your prosthetic today! You can come pick it up after school!"_

A smile spread across his face. "Thanks. I'll be there in two hours."

…

When Hiccup got off of school, he immediately got on the bus and headed over to the doctor's office. The trip was short and the appointment even more so. Dr. Lisa practically dragged him inside, excited, and calling the head surgeon while he took off his old prosthetic and put on the new one. It fit nicely. Way better than his other ones. This one had metal traveling down his leg with a dark plastic that went around and a few inches above his knee. The plastic descended down over the metal and locked at the kneecap so it would bend without fault.

"Have fun," Dr. Lisa said, her wild red hair cascading around her face. She gave him a grand smile.

Hiccup headed home, with a small smile on his face and no pain in his leg. When he got to his room, he pulled out his phone and fiddled with it for a moment, biting his lip. He finally clicked the messages button.

 _To: Dad_

 _Got new prosthetic. No pain._

 _From: Hiccup_

He hit send before he could second-guess himself, lying back on his bed with a sigh.

…

"You weren't here yesterday."

"I had a doctor's appointment."

"For your new prosthetic?" Toothless huffed. "I…guess that's a good reason."

"Are you mad at me?" Hiccup asked amusedly. "Is that what you look like when you look mad?"

"No. I'm very scary when I'm mad."

"It's hard to believe that." Hiccup tapped his fake foot. "We can go out in the field tomorrow. And remember I can't catch or throw a football. Don't say I didn't warm you."

"I'll take that into consideration."

Hiccup pursed his lips. "I have a question."

"And I may have an answer."

"Isn't football practice after school?" Hiccup asked curiously, jutting his thumb towards the other field on the other side of the school. "I mean, you _are_ the quarterback. Shouldn't you be with the players?"

Toothless let out a breath. "I talked the coach into letting me skip so I could practice by myself."

Hiccup's brow furrowed. "Why?"

Toothless snorted – it still sounded foreign to Hiccup – and swiped his hair was from his face. "Isn't it obvious? I don't like my _teammates_."

"I can believe that."

"Coach said as long as I'm keeping everything up and winning games, he could care less," Toothless said.

"That's cool," Hiccup quipped. "I always thought the coach was an egotistical guy who just likes to watch people suffer."

"Yeah, well, it's true."

"Not surprising," Hiccup said. He looked back down at his sketchbook where he was aimlessly drawing, and his entire face lit up in red hues when he saw Toothless' form scrawled on the page. He quickly turned to a blank new page, trying to forget he'd just done that without knowing. Toothless glanced up at him, curious to why he'd fumbled with his book.

"What are you drawing?" he asked.

"U-Uh, nothing yet," Hiccup answered quickly.

Toothless held out his hand. It wasn't like when he was holding out the football. It was shyer, like he wasn't sure if Hiccup was going to let him reach towards him. "Can I see?"

Hiccup scratched his neck awkwardly. "I…I've never let anyone see my sketchbook before."

Toothless drew his hand away. "Okay."

Hiccup bit his lip, hard, contemplated. "But…I guess you can be the first. You've been so nice to me after all."

Toothless looked surprised for a moment. Hiccup handed him his sketchbook, and the teen looked like he wasn't sure what to do with it. "You turn the page," Hiccup instructed.

"Oh, yeah." Toothless turned the cover. The first page was filled with a horizon. Hiccup drew it when he went into the woods. The next was of random doodles of monsters he'd dreamed up. Then there was the tree line from the bleachers. There were many, but Hiccup always made all of the different. He added a different style for each one, some abstract in many ways, and some detailed. Toothless flipped to another page. It was the picture of him and his mother. He'd drawn that one a few months ago. It was still fresh in his mind. He wrung his hands together, and Toothless gave it back. Hiccup was glad he didn't flip to the most recent one. That would've been embarrassing.

"Who was that?" Toothless asked.

"Oh, uh, my mom," Hiccup said. "I drew that a while ago."

"You're really good," Toothless said, gesturing down to the sketchbook. "I didn't know."

Hiccup flashed a crooked smile. "Wow. Sounds like you think very highly of me."

Toothless' lips quirked. "I gave you Twizzlers."

"That's beside the point."

Toothless looked down to his leg for a moment. Hiccup shifted. "So, you really can play tomorrow?"

Hiccup shrugged. "Yeah. I guess so. It will get some time to get used to, but I think it will be fun. And I hardly think it's _playing_. It's more like you catching and throwing, and I try to stay upright."

"Oh, whatever. You can't be that bad."

Hiccup snorted. "I'll make you eat those words."

…

"Hicca', meet your new trainees!"

Hiccup looked away from a chef he'd been chatting with, grabbing a tray. He turned…and nearly dropped everything.

First thing he notice was Snotlout, which was probably the scariest. But then there was Astrid, which wasn't that far from home. Ruffnut and Tuffnut were behind them with Fishlegs, who looked absolutely shocked to even see Hiccup there.

The only thing that came out of his mouth was, "You've got to be kidding me."

Snotlout rolled his eyes. "Gobber, did you have to put us with _Hiccup_? He's probably going to get us fired."

Gobber made a noise of disapproval. "I'll have you know, _Snotlout_ , that Hiccup has been working here for almost six years. He's one of the best waiters we have. If anyone was getting you fired, it would be yourself."

Snotlout didn't look impressed. "What are we supposed to do?"

"This isn't a joke, lad," Gobber said. "This is a job. You can't just come in and expect to know everything. Hiccup knows what to do and you all will be with him for as long as it takes."

Hiccup looked over to Gobber, gob smacked. "You didn't tell me I was going to have trainees," he hissed. "Especially…" He clamped his mouth shut.

"We didn't ask for you, either," Snotlout remarked.

Tuffnut, not seeming to be interested in the conversation, spoke up, "So…do we get to, you know, set fire to anything?" He jabbed a finger towards one of the chefs that poured wine over a dish he was cooking on the stove.

Hiccup sighed, and looked towards Gobber for help.

"No, you aren't cooking," Gobber said. "You're waiters. You serve food ta people. It may sound easy, but it's harder than you think."

"Hey…" Fishlegs said from the back of the group. "Do we get to – "

"Whatever questions you have, ask Hicca'," Gobber interrupted. "He'll tell ya everythin' you need ta know." He hastily scooted by all of them, heading out the doors after calling out, "Give them a tour first!"

Hiccup turned and gulped as all the teens stares went directly to him. "Uh…"

"Well?" Snotlout snorted. "You gonna show us shit or what?"

Hiccup noticed the chefs he'd been working with for years glance back at him in worry. He gave them the most reassuring look he could, and shyly waved them outside the kitchen.

He tried to not look back at them. Snotlout kept making muttered comments about the people they passed by, trying to make Astrid interested, which wasn't working, and making Tuffnut laugh behind his hand. Astrid stayed silent except to answer Ruffnut's murmurs to her every so often. It surprised Hiccup to see Fishlegs bustle up in front of all them and stand next to him.

"So," Fishlegs started slowly. "I didn't know you've worked here since you were ten."

Hiccup couldn't help his rigid shoulders. He nodded sharply once. "Uh, yeah."

"Is it really hard as Gobber says?" Fishlegs asked.

"Is what hard?"

"Being a waiter." Fishlegs hopped around a passing blonde child that came running through. "I always thought it would be easy."

"I-It's pretty hard, I guess," Hiccup said, his hands twitching as he tried to not nervously wring them together. "I mean, it's hard to not mess up during the first few months. Well…the first few years for me." He dodged from bumping his hip into a glossy booth. "Sometimes…you give people the wrong orders. Sometimes you drop stuff. Some people are better at others. I've just been doing it for…a long time."

Fishlegs looked like he was soaking up all the information spilling out of Hiccup's mouth like a sponge. "Why a waiter?"

"Pardon?"

"Your dad's the manager of Berk's stock, right?" Fishlegs tapped his chin. "He probably gets a lot of money. Why are you working?"

Hiccup noticed Snotlout leaning forward as if he wanted to know the answer as well. He glanced away. "I…had a lot of free time."

"Oh." Fishlegs seemed to know Hiccup didn't want to elaborate. "That's cool. That you spend time here. You and Gobber seem really close."

"Yeah. We are."

Finally, Hiccup got to the back. He didn't want to deal with the kitchen right now. It was too steamy, and with Fishlegs asking all the questions, he was already nervous as it was. They went through a large door with the yellow sign saying, 'employees only.' The hinges creaked as they filed inside, Hiccup last from holding open the entrance.

"This is the back. It's storage. Through that door" – Hiccup pointed towards the thick, steel door "– is the freezer – for all the meat." He waved to all the boxes filled with food and extra silverware. "We get a lot of shipments – about twice every few weeks. They come in with new materials and food. Any fresh produce goes through to the freezers in the kitchen, but frozen meat and fruits go in the deep freeze."

"I bet we could save a lot of trouble by locking Ruffnut in there," Tuffnut snorted, nodding towards the deep freeze. Ruffnut smacked him over the head.

Hiccup cringed. "Um, one rule is the employees aren't allowed to – you know – fight…with each other. Or the customers. Or the chefs. Or Gobber." He bit his lip. "Just don't fight."

"Aw," Ruffnut droned. "I suppose that means no fighting with the jerks that come in either."

Hiccup nodded. "Yeah. That too. No matter what they say, don't talk back, don't fight. Just be polite. It'll save you from getting fired."

"Sounds like you speak from personal experience," Snotlout said gruffly.

Hiccup scowled, and pushed out the storage. "C'mon."

…

 **I just wanted to include the other characters somehow.**

 **And I added some Fishlegs! Fuck yeah!**

 **Thanks for reading.**


	9. Chapter 9

"Okay…what do I do?"

"You throw the ball and I'll catch it."

"I know that. _What_ do I do?"

"Throw it."

"I _know_ that. _How_ do I do it?"

"It's pretty self-explanatory. You pull your hand back. You bring it forward. Just remember to let go."

Hiccup sighed irritably. "Last time I threw a football, I broke a window."

"Interesting. And how mad was your dad about that?"

"It wasn't my window," Hiccup said blandly.

Toothless' mouth turned into a round _o_. "Oh. Gotcha."

"You're not helping me here," Hiccup said, gazing down at the worn football held in his hand. The ball was a bit too big for him, so it was hard to curl his fingers half way around the leather. It didn't feel heavy, but it didn't feel light at the same time. Well, it just got heavier when he lifted it up higher when he got ready to throw it."

Toothless, shirt off (Hiccup took the hidden time to admire how the sun casted contour on his muscles), ran a hand over his face. Hiccup stood still, dumbly. Toothless jogged over to him and slipped behind him. Hiccup started to turn around, beginning to become embarrassed at how persistent Toothless was to get him to throw a ball, but Toothless curled a hand around his bicep. Hiccup's face heated up drastically, suddenly aware of how he could feel light breath on the back of his neck, and the knowing presence of Toothless behind him. His grip was strong, but soft and gentle. Nothing like he'd ever felt before. Toothless lifted his arm, positioning the football in a different poise.

"Hold it like this," Toothless said softly from behind him. Hiccup's entire body heated up as Toothless' hand just barely ticked his hand as he dropped his grip. "And throw it."

"I – " Hiccup cleared his throat, hoping Toothless couldn't see how flustered he was. "I, um, I'm going to break something."

"There's no window out here," Toothless said with humor coating his voice.

"I meant my arm, dumbass." Hiccup winced. "Sorry, I – "

"If you break your arm," Toothless cut in, "then I wouldn't be a very good teacher, now would I? C'mon." He took a step away, watching him. Hiccup's stomach curled. "Throw it. It's easy."

Hiccup thrusted his arm forward weakly. The ball landed a few feet in front of him. Toothless made a noise of indignation, trotting over and grabbing the ball. "Really? I know you can do better than that."

"No you don't. I already told you I can't play football."

Toothless made a sarcastic face – which Hiccup covered his mouth quickly so he wouldn't laugh out loud. "Anyone can play football. There are just some that have more brains than others."

"Are you referring to me?" Hiccup asked, trying to hide any bashfulness.

"No. Me." Hiccup made a face like he'd just swallowed a lemon. Toothless laughed. "Just kidding. I was referring to both of us."

Hiccup mock gasped. "You have _brains_?"

Toothless nodded. "Yes. Yes I do."

Hiccup sputtered out a giggle. "I'm just kidding, Toothless. It's obvious you're much smarter than the other football idiots. A lot smarter actually." Hiccup lips curled mischievously. "Not as smart as me, though."

Toothless rolled his eyes. "That sounds like a challenge."

"Now that you say that," Hiccup inquired, "it did indeed."

"How about this." Toothless passed the ball between both his hands nonchalantly. "You pass the ball, I'll answer a question."

"And educational question?"

"Of course." Toothless tossed the ball to him. Hiccup fumbled a moment before holding it still. "Now go."

Hiccup gave it another go, timidly wishing Toothless would come over and show him how to hold the ball again. Not because of the playing, but more because he would actually come that close to him. Hiccup wondered how long it had been since someone had actually come so close to him without some threat or a hit. He stopped counting a while ago. Knowing Toothless hadn't been repulsed just being around him sent nervous butterflies fluttering in his stomach. Then again, the butterflies dropped, who knew? Toothless could still be just humoring or pitying him. He hoped to God that wasn't the case because he'd just gotten fucking _butterflies thinking about him_.

Toothless had to surge forward some to catch the ball. "Better. Just throw harder."

"I get to ask a question." Hiccup pursed his lips. "What's two plus two?"

Toothless gave him an unamused look. "Seriously? That's all you can come up with?"

Hiccup huffed. "I can't test your intelligence when I don't know if you know the answers to simplistic questions. Now answer it."

"It's four."

Hiccup smiled. "See? It's easy."

"You say that like I didn't know the answer in the first place," Toothless said.

"How was I supposed to know? Hesitating is the first thing to notice when it comes to cluelessness."

"Did you just call me clueless?"

"No."

Toothless tossed the ball. Hiccup barely managed to catch it. "I think you are."

"I'm saying to not be oblivious," Hiccup said.

Toothless raised his eyebrows. "If you're not oblivious, then you would know I'm not either. Besides" – He smiled coyly "– I think you're more oblivious than me."

"And I think that's a false accusation," Hiccup said, setting his hands on his hips. "What would I be oblivious about?"

"You're oblivious to the fact that you're not what people say you are," Toothless said lightly. Hiccup threw the ball. Toothless caught it easily. "I think I would be the person to know."

Hiccup gave him a hesitant look, fumbling with the ball as it soared back. "You say that like you know my deepest, darkest secrets."

"I may not be oblivious," Toothless said, "but I don't know your secrets. Or you, really."

Hiccup snorted. "I've told you all you need to know. I'm pretty boring."

"Well, I don't think so." Toothless reached one hand out, snatching the ball out of the air as if he was born doing it. "I'll tell you one of my secrets."

Hiccup raised a suspicious brow. "And what would that do? How do you know I wouldn't go running around telling people?"

"Because you know I wouldn't do that to you."

He had a point. An edgy point. Hiccup bit his lip. "Okay. Go."

Toothless tossed the ball back, nonchalantly answering, "I hate football."

" _What_?"

"I hate football."

"I must not be hearing you right."

Toothless sighed. "Is it that hard to believe?"

"Yeah. Pretty much." Hiccup gave him a befuddled look. "Why play football if you hate it?"

"I already told you: I go with the flow," Toothless said, catching the ball. "It's one thing I'm good at, so why not play it and get some credits?"

"But why do something you hate?"

"To live." Toothless cocked his head. "That's what life is all about. Always once you have to do something you hate. Surely you do something you hate."

 _Hope for my dad_ , Hiccup thought immediately. Toothless was right. Scarily right at that.

"Why tell me this?" Hiccup asked curiously.

Toothless shrugged. "The same reason you told me about your leg."

 _For no reason at first._ Hiccup bit his lip. _Then for a chance at trust._ "You really aren't oblivious."

Toothless cracked a crooked smile. "Thanks."

Hiccup wanted to kiss him. He took a step back, waving his hands for the ball as he forced down a blush. "C'mon. I want to try again."

…

Surprisingly, when Hiccup got home, his leg wasn't in pain. It was sore from being worked out that hard in years, but it wasn't painful. A bit exhilarating actually. His prosthetic fit perfectly and wasn't uncomfortable after nearly two hours of hanging around school, and he almost forgot it was there. He had to send a thank you note or something to the specialist that so graciously gave him a new leg.

When he got to his room and shed his prosthetic from some freedom, he hopped into bed with a _flop_ and smiled giddily into the covers.

…

"So, what exactly am I supposed to do?"

Hiccup groaned, not caring if he was going to get slapped around for it. "Snotlout, you're just setting the plates on the tray and taking them out to the table it was ordered to."

"Which table?"

"It says it on the slip."

"Oh." Snotlout glanced over to the slip that was clipped onto the top shelf of the steel counter.

Hiccup remembered when he was ten years old and there weren't even slips to look at. All the waiters had to memorize the food and table or make something up in their head to remember. At first, he started drawing on his hands to remember, but his hands became crowded, and his arms were covered by the uniform, so he had to create a system in his head. To this day, he wasn't sure how he remembered, but it was easier now because he used the system, barely using the slips.

"I don't know where that table is," Snotlout said.

"Here." Hiccup took the tray, filling only one plate. "I'll take this one. Get working on the other one and try to use that brain of yours."

Snotlout gave him an annoyed look, but right now, Hiccup could care less. Snotlout could beat him up all he wanted later, there was a job that needed to be done.

He headed out, thankful there was barely anything on the tray because yesterday with football had been pretty hard. His arms hadn't really worked like that in a while, so his muscles (the little amount he had) were sore, just like his leg. He maneuvered through tables, glancing around for his other trainees. He spotted Astrid asking for orders politely at a table. It had been only two days and she was working like a pro. He's seen her falter a few times, but she always acted so professional, it looked like she didn't even care, and she learned from the mistake. He admired that.

Snotlout couldn't figure out the tables and had gotten many orders mixed up. Ruffnut and Tuffnut were in a constant competition to see who could get the most tables in a day, and trying to see if they could "help" the chefs with setting some food on fire. Hiccup deliberately told them to not do that, and that it wasn't "setting fire", it was grilling. Anyone with a normal amount of brain cells knew that. Apparently, the twins didn't have enough because they were convinced it was just setting fire. Hiccup was sure they were pyromaniacs. Fishlegs, on the other hand, was just as nervous and clumsy as him when he'd started six years ago. He was catching on, he was smart after all, but it was going to take some time.

Hiccup went to the table he'd gotten a glance of from the slip at the last minute. It was outside on the patio. Barely anyone went out there during the fall time because the cold had finally started to roll in with the falling, colored leaves. But that's where these people were sitting. Hiccup could respect that. He liked being outside more than inside.

He came outside, swinging professionally with the food away from the door. He turned, still glancing inside as Ruffnut barreled out from the kitchen with some food, nearly knocking over some people and a couple of waitresses with it. He sighed, glancing between the tables he was walking around to the back, and inside to make sure she didn't break too much or drive a bunch of customers away.

He made it to the back. Too distracted, he didn't even look down at the people when Ruffnut, inside, knocked into Gobber, spilling a drink. Ruffnut laughed like a maniac, drawing some attention to them, while Gobber didn't look like he found it funny.

"Uh," Hiccup said, "enjoy you food."

He realized it was completely silent. He looked down.

"Hi," Toothless said.

Hiccup jerked in surprise, reeling backwards and bumping into a chair. Toothless' cheeks puffed up from trying not to laugh. Hiccup righted himself, grabbing the chair before it could knock over.

"Oh my God," Hiccup hissed. "You scared me to death."

"I can see that," Toothless chuckled.

"What are you doing here?" Hiccup swiped his hands nervously on his apron. "Is…"

"No. Collin's not here." Toothless took a fry off the plate Hiccup had just set down. "It's just me. I was kind of hungry."

"Toothless, it is ten o'clock at night."

"Late night snack."

Hiccup looked down at the plate full with a hamburger and fries. "More like a late night meal."

"Hey," Toothless said, "never waste food. It's sacred."

Hiccup couldn't help but crack a smile. "Very. Are you sure you don't want Twizzlers?"

Toothless perked up the slightest bit. "They have them here?"

Hiccup laughed. "No," he said amusedly. "I don't understand how you stay so fit from eating all that."

Toothless pouted. "I don't eat this all the time. I happen to be a total smoothie guy. Besides" – He took a bit bite from his burger "- you can't go wrong with a burger. I work it all off anyway."

"Touché." Hiccup looked inside, wincing as Ruffnut nearly knocked into Fishlegs, who looked startled. "I'm sorry. I have to go back inside. I got a bunch of trainees two days ago and most of them aren't doing so hot."

Toothless looked inside, catching sight of Ruffnut. He grimaced. "I can see that."

"Tell you what," Hiccup chirped, "you stay here until I get off at ten thirty, and I'll come back out." He stumbled, looking away bashfully. "I mean, if you would like me to – "

"Hurry up, then," Toothless said. "I'll save some fries."

A delighted smile split Hiccup's face. He cleared his throat, and tried hard to push it away. "Okay."

…

 **I literally couldn't stop thinking about the last scene all day. I was so excited to write it.**

 **At first, I was actually going to have Hiccup come out to find Collin and a bunch of players, along with Toothless. I was…wait, I can't tell you. It'll spoil plans.**

 **But this was born, and I love it. This entire chapter was just Hiccup and Toothless. The best kind.**

 **Thanks for reading! Reviews please!**


	10. Chapter 10

"It's an art contest, Hiccup. I want you to submit something."

Hiccup slowly took the form with hesitant hands and wide eyes. "You want… _me_ to try?"

"Of course," his art teacher, Mrs. Ashton, huffed. "You show amazing talent. And that's just in class! I have no idea what you draw in your personal time. That's why I want you to sign up."

"B-But – " Hiccup paused. "What am I supposed to _draw_? I mean, there are so many things, but I can just…choose one."

Mrs. Ashton shrugged with a slight smile. "Anything your heart desires, Hiccup. It could be happy, angst, sad, whatever. Dream something up. Make a monster or something. I don't know what you do."

That's exactly what Hiccup did. He dreamed. And he drew. And he created. Imagined. It was him. But could he sign up and submit something his heart truly desired to draw?

"O-Okay," Hiccup said, still shocked. "I…guess I can give it a try."

Mrs. Ashton clapped her hands, her curly hair falling over her shoulders in waves. "Great! I was hoping you would say that. Just remember: it's about having fun and sharing, not about winning. Just submit anything you want it. It could even be old. Let's just see where it goes." She pursed her lips. "You're one of my best – if not the best – art students I have. I know you can do it. And if you don't," she said. "It doesn't matter. It was all fun."

Hiccup nodded numbly, still staring down at the form. "Okay. I'll do it."

She smiled. "That's all then. You can head to class."

…

"She wants me to enter an art competition for Berk's high school artists."

A smiled filled Toothless' face. "That's great! What're you going to draw?"

Hiccup shrugged, a bit put out at his lack of ideas. He'd always been able to come up with things on impulse, on the spot, easily, without any problem. But now he was on pressure, and he had no inspiration.

"I have no idea," he said honestly. "I can't seem to think up anything."

"Why not just draw the horizon?" Toothless asked, pointing out the tree-line.

Hiccup shook his head. "I've already done it so much. I want to do what I've done since I was a kid: make up stuff."

"Careful, you sound like a terrorist."

Hiccup cracked a grin. "I know. But I meant fictional kind of stuff. Fantasy."

"Like fairies?"

"No." Hiccup bit his lip. "Like dragons."

Toothless' brows rose. "Dragons? Cool. I've always liked dragons."

Puzzle pieces started to connect in Hiccup's mind as he gazed at Toothless. Said teen looked at him, confused. "Is there something on my face?"

"You," Hiccup said. "You look just like a Night Fury."

Surprisingly, Toothless' cheeks colored the tiniest bit. "I look like a what?" He paused, and the red was gone in an instant. "I can't tell if that was a compliment or an insult."

Hiccup dragged out his sketchbook with fumbling fingers. He cursed as his pencil dropped underneath the bleachers. He was prepared though. He snagged another one, quickly flipping to a new page, his pencil hovering over the paper.

"Uh…?" Toothless gave him a curious look. "You still haven't answered my question. I'm starting to go with an insult."

Hiccup started drawing out everything that came to mind. He kept looking between Toothless and the paper with quick glances. His charcoal pencil outlines and shaded, precise lines connecting with others. He dragged and scribbled with an elaborate hand, his tongue sticking out of the side of his mouth.

Toothless watched on. "I'm going to stick with insult, then."

Hiccup suddenly stopped, looking up at Toothless, then down at his paper. He jotted something down. He turned the book facing Toothless. Toothless looked at his, his eyes widening like dinner saucers.

"Is that…?" Toothless started. "Me?"

Hiccup nodded sharply at first, then slowing down at Toothless' expression.

"As a dragon?"

Nod.

"Holy shit," Toothless breathed. A large grin cracked his face. "I look fucking awesome! Is that – what did you call it – a Night Fury?"

On the page was the famous – in Hiccup's mind – Night Fury. Its rounded nose was poked forward in confusion, and its angular shoulders sunk down lazily. Its wings were folded behind his back, so you could only see the elegant curve of the bone at the top next to its floppy ears. Only half of its body showed in the picture, only one paw set up by an invisible structure.

It looked exactly like Toothless.

"Whoa," Toothless said in awe. "It looks exactly like me – but a dragon. How…How did you do that?"

Hiccup shrugged, his ears turning red, bashful. He grabbed a colored pencil from the front pocket of his bag and reached over next to Toothless, scribbling inside the eyes.

Electric green.

"Holy shit," Toothless said again. "You have to enter that contest. Draw some dragons. Draw people as dragons." He paused, tapping his chin. Hiccup turned red at how much Toothless was compelled by this. "No, do a comparison picture by the drawing. Oh my God, do that! That's it!" He stopped for a moment, then smiled slightly, as if sorry to be excited. "Oh, sorry. Only if you want to do that."

Hiccup waved at him. "Of course I will. It'll be really cool." He smiled. "Besides" – Hiccup tore out the Night Fury page and set it in Toothless' hands, which looked completely dumbstruck " – you gave me some of your fries. Why wouldn't I?"

Hiccup now knew what Toothless looked like when he beamed as bright as the sun.

…

The next day, Hiccup hurried off to his art class before his homeroom started and handed Mrs. Ashton a filled out form with a detailed drawing. He left too fast to see her reaction with a smile on his face.

"Today, we're reviewing the last chapter of _A Great something_ ," Ms. Fortis said, her crone voice droning like an ancient record player. Hiccup sighed, setting his chin in his palm, trying to ready himself for another boring lesson that would probably make him zone out or fall asleep.

"Can someone give me a synopsis?" Ms. Fortis asked, gazing around the room with beady eyes, choosing a victim to the question. "Collin?"

Collin, who was obviously not paying attention with his phone hidden underneath his desk, his fingers tapping away, jerked up at his name being called. "Oh, Ms. Fortis. I had the worst headache last night and couldn't finish the last chapter. I plan on reading it right when I get home, though, because it's been such a great book so far and I just can't wait for the ending."

Ms. Fortis waved him off lightly. "Oh, it's alright, Mr. Robert." She swept around the room. "Toothless?"

Hiccup glanced over his shoulder, furrowing his brow. It had been weeks since he'd first heard Toothless speak. Before that, no teacher called on him. He only had English and Math with him, but, still, he'd never heard any teacher speak "Toothless" once.

Toothless glared up at Ms. Fortis with an unwavering stare. Hiccup thought he was just going to drive her away with her stare, but he suddenly spoke: "Didn't read last night, Ms. Fortis."

Ms. Fortis looked peeved. "I supposed you had a headache, too, young man?"

"No." Toothless shook his head. "I just didn't want to read it."

The entire class erupted into laugher. Hiccup covered his mouth, trying not to laugh. Toothless' face stayed as still as a rock.

"Why, have I ever!" Ms. Fortis cried. "Toothless, watch what you say to your superior!"

"Just because you're older doesn't mean you're superior," Toothless answered, crossing his arms. The class fired into giggled and gasps.

Ms. Fortis' face turned red in anger. Stray white hairs fell into her face, making her look like a messy painting. "Toothless, principal's office! Now!"

The class began applauded, all laughing widely. Toothless got up from his seat, and, then Ms. Fortis huffed and turned, Toothless looked over to Hiccup and an amused smile covered his face as Hiccup burst into giggles. He trotted out of the room with his head held high.

…

Hiccup immediately fell into laughter as Toothless trotted up the bleachers with a smile on his face. He bowed, waving his hand dramatically. "Thank you. Thank you. My brain strives to entertain the masses."

"Oh my God," Hiccup gasped out. "I can't believe you did that!"

"All in a day's work."

Hiccup wheezed, finally calming himself down. "Oh, lord. What did the principle do to you?"

Toothless plopped down next to him. "Absolutely nothing. I've been in there a few times before. He just lets me go?"

Hiccup cocked his head to the side, unable to wipe the smile from his face. "Why?"

"Probably because I'm a football player," Toothless said. His mouth curled upwards. "Or…there was that time I caught him making out with Ms. Fortis in the janitors closet. Don't tell anyone."

Hiccup gasped, throwing a hand over his eyes. "Oh my God!" he laughed. "I didn't need that picture in my head. I'm sure you didn't either."

Toothless immediately shivered. "I try not to think about it. She's really the only teacher I pick on." He chuckled. "All the teachers know what happened and they know it's useless to call on me during class because they think I'll tell on them if they get me in trouble."

Hiccup snorted. "And after all this time I've wondered why I've never heard you talk before."

Toothless shrugged. "Don't tell anyone. It's sort of the big secret between the staff. If it gets out, Principal Doug and Ms. Fortis can both get fired."

Hiccup's face alighted in a blush. Toothless trusted him enough to tell him this? Of course, he would never, ever tell anyone, but it still surprised him.

"Wow," Hiccup said. He cleared his throat. "So, uh, I entered into the art contest."

Toothless perked up. "Did you win?"

Hiccup rolled his eyes. "They don't announce the winners until next week, dimwit. I don't know if I won. I doubt it."

"I don't," Toothless said, looking over to him.

Hiccup, suddenly aware of how close they were, looked away, his face bright red. "Uh. Thanks. Maybe I'll win."

Toothless leaned back against the level behind them. "You probably will."

"You haven't even seen the drawing yet."

"But I know it's good."

Hiccup couldn't believe this. He shuffled his feet in pure bashfulness, wringing his hands together. "You really think so?"

"I know so," Toothless said with a click of his tongue.

"Thanks. Really."

Toothless smiled over at him. "Anytime."

…

"Gobber, I have a _really_ big problem."

Gobber grunted from where he was filling out paperwork in his small desk. They were in the closed back of the restaurant, where Gobber kept his work space. It was bright from the windows, and the sun poured in like liquid gold.

"What's it about, lad?" Gobber asked, glancing up from his paperwork, before back down.

"You know that guy I was telling you about?" Hiccup twirled his thumbs together. "I…I, well, I really like him."

"And?"

Hiccup sighed, gazing out the window with a soft smile. "He's so kind. And compassionate. He saw my drawings and respected my privacy and even told me stuff he's never told me before. I kind of told him about my leg and he didn't say anything about it. He just…waited until I was okay so he would drag me to the field to play football." He sighed. "He's just so…amazing. It's like he actually cares about me."

"He probably does, dumbass."

"Let me finish," Hiccup snapped. His face softened. "I'm so excited to see him. It's kind of what gets me through the day without constant loathing." He bit his lip. "He's so caring and understanding. But…I don't understand."

"About what?"

Hiccup dropped his eyes to the floor. "He's the quarterback. That's a huge deal at school. He hangs out with the popular kids, but he doesn't like them one bit. I understand, but I don't. He just…goes with the flow. That's what he said. He said he could leave whenever he wanted because he was his own person. But…I feel like I trust him. I trust him, but I'm not sure if that's a good idea."

This caught Gobber's attention. "Lad…you're bringin' your past inta your feelings. Just beca' your father loathes you, your mother i' gone, and kids at school hate you doesn't mean you should let i' affect you."

"Wow. Thanks. I feel _so_ much better."

Gobber sighed. "Listen ta me, Hicca'. You can't just speed by a grea' chance because of other people. This guy…?"

"Toothless."

"Wow, interesting name. Anyways, the way you describe 'im is in a way I heard your mother describe your father."

"Is that a good thing…?"

Gobber sighed again, irritably. "Yes, Hicca'. It's very good. You've got feelings for him. I haven't met 'im, but he sounds like he cares. Maybe he's straight, but you never know. Take some chances."

Hiccup thinned his lips. "Are you telling me to jump him and see if I ruin a very nice friendship?"

"Ah," Gobber said. "But that's where you're wrong. It isn't friendship when ya see him as something more is it?"

Hiccup's eyes widened, gob smacked. He dropped his nervous hands. "Oh. I see what you mean…" He bit his lip. "But…if I even try to make it something more, what if he rejects me?"

"Well, that's the point of chances, Hicca'," Gobber said. "You obviously care for him. He obviously cares for you, as a friend at least. Maybe he does really like you. There are a lot of what ifs. That's why you've got to get rid o' some."

Hiccup thought back to Toothless. His kind, charming smile. His piercing eyes. His soft hands. His words. He smiled. Then, he frowned, hesitant. "I don't know."

"Then give it some time."

Hiccup paused. Then, nodded. "Yeah. I guess so." He smiled. "He really is a great guy. You would like him."

"Well, I wouldn't let anyone I didn't like to have you, would I?" Gobber said gruffly.

Hiccup cracked a smile.

…

 **Yo, peeps. And that was my one and only terrible attempt at acting cool.**

 **Hope you liked this chapter. I wanted to add some Gobber. I already have a pretty good idea of what the next chapter is going to be about. Don't worry, I plan on having Toothless' POV coming very soon.**

 **Thanks for reading! Reviews please.**


	11. Chapter 11

As Hiccup came out of the front doors of the school, he turned to go towards the bleachers about half a mile away. As soon as he reached the back of the school, someone grabbed the back of his backpack, and yanked backwards, sending him to the ground with a cry.

A shadow hovered over him. It was Collin. More shadows. More of his lackeys.

"Hey, faggot," Collin greeted. "It's been a while, hasn't it? I've let you off the hook for a few weeks due to that stupid slut. Now, let's get back to business, shall we?"

"Wait –" Hiccup pleaded, but Collin's fist reared back and socked him right into the jaw. His head flew back to the ground. Someone grabbed his hair, and he groaned, his hands flying up to his scalp to claw the hand away, but they held firm. He was lifted into the air. Pain carved through his head and down his neck. Collin sneered in front of him.

"Hold him up," he said. A crude smile spread across his mouth. "It's gonna be a while."

…

Out of everything, Hiccup felt embarrassed. He was used to feeling embarrassed, but the past few weeks talking with Toothless, he'd really didn't feel all that bad. But now he did. He was embarrassed for himself, for his incapability to do _anything_ , to fight, to swing a fist, to just kick out his goddamn prosthetic.

But he was too weak.

Just like his dad said. Too weak. Too scrawny. Skinny. Girly. Small. Boney. Just _weak_.

When he came to school with bruises on his chin and cheeks, with puffy eyes and a cut lip, Toothless tried to approach him multiple times. But Hiccup skittered away before he could get to him.

Hiccup also realized that Toothless had never been there. Toothless had come to Berk two years ago, and had just gained his popularity in tenth grade from joining the football team. He'd never said an insulting word to him. Never said a word at all. He was only there in the background, silent, while they picked on him. He was completely silent, stone faced. Hiccup thought Toothless had gained pleasure from seeing another in pain those two years.

Toothless had never been there when he was beaten up to a pulp. He was never with his "friends" as they held him down or pinned him against a wall and kicked and punched him into a puddle on the ground.

Toothless never even saw him as insuperior to him. He saw him as an equal. Another person, just like himself.

Hiccup remembered the conversation he'd had with Toothless a while ago. Toothless wasn't oblivious, but he wasn't all-seeing either. And that's what Toothless had meant. He knew things, but he'd never seen them. That also didn't mean he liked them.

Hiccup wasn't oblivious either. Toothless had been kind to him since he'd transferred to the school. It just took him a long time to realize that.

"Where'd you get those bruises?"

Hiccup winced, burying himself deeper into his sketchbook, drawing aimless circles. Toothless' voice was soft, but it was edgy, like he was holding something back.

"I…" Hiccup bit his cut lip. "I just ran into a door."

Toothless looked at him blankly. Then, his face curled into anger. "That's your excuse? You _ran into a door?_ "

"…Yeah…"

Toothless still looked angry. And, surprisingly, Hiccup wasn't afraid of him like he would have been with other people. "I can't believe you. You get beat up, and you don't even tell me about it." He scrubbed his hands over his face. "Don't you trust me? You can't just get hurt like that and pretend it never happened and it was your fault – "

Toothless stopped. Hiccup wondered why. Then he realized his face was wet. Was he crying? Oh God, he was such a baby. Hiccup swiped quickly at his eyes.

Toothless reached out. Hiccup halted. His hand dropped.

"What am I saying?" Toothless muttered. "I can't just act like you trust me. You have every right not to." He sighed. "I'm sorry. I'm just…" He growled. "I'm just so mad."

"Why?" Hiccup asked before he could stop himself.

Toothless knelt down, looking up at him. "Two plus two equals four."

Hiccup couldn't help but laugh through his shaky breaths. "That makes no sense, dimwit."

"None of this was your fault," Toothless said softly. "None of it. It was Collin's. And his stupid friends." His lips curled downward into a childish frown. "Please stop crying."

Hiccup smiled, still trying to clear the tear streaks on his face. "I'm not oblivious," he said.

Toothless looked surprised he'd brought that up. "Oh?"

"I thought you were pitying me," Hiccup said. "I thought you were just looking down on someone and seeing a sad picture. I was an idiot for thinking that." He sniffed. "You've been kind to me ever since you came to the school."

"…You realized that?" Toothless asked in a small voice. "I didn't think…"

"And I trust you," Hiccup said. "I trust you a lot. I have a right to. I have a reason, too. I hope you trust me."

Toothless' lips pulled up into a small smile. "I _did_ tell you I hated football. And the teachers make out session. _And_ I let you slap me with a Twizzler."

"You didn't let me," Hiccup huffed. "I got you fair and square."

"I have a reason to trust you, then," Toothless said. "Are you oblivious as of why?"

"I'm not all-seeing."

"Good. Makes sense."

Hiccup laughed. "You really are a dimwit."

…

At the end of the week, there was an announcement that rang through the speaker.

"Excuse the interruption," the principal said. "We have the final results for Berk's art competition."

Hiccup sat straight up in his seat, looking over at Toothless. He gave him a grand smile, nodding. He blushed, twiddling his thumbs together. All the chattering stopped in the classroom as Ms. Fortis set her pen down from grading papers.

Mrs. Ashton's voice came on: "We have five winners from all three high schools in Berk. In fifth place is Amy Bubreth from Dublin. Fourth place is Duke Willams, also from Dublin. Third place is Archy Winfore from UR." Papers shuffled. "And second place is Hiccup Haddock from Berk. And first place is Randy Rodgers from UR."

Hiccup sat still for a moment. Then he looked around. Everyone was staring at him. They seemed surprised more than anything. They sat still. Hiccup looked back. Toothless grinned at him, his eyes practically sparkling.

That was all that Hiccup needed. He smiled.

…

"I can't believe you got second place."

Hiccup looked over at Toothless as he sat down on the bleachers in front of him. "It's awesome isn't it?"

Toothless huffed. "You should have gotten first."

Hiccup rolled his eyes. "Don't get all emotional. Second is completely fine with me. I'm happy that I won. And you saw that Randy guy's drawing. It was really good, and so were the other winners."

Toothless smiled softly. "Yeah. It was really good."

Hiccup thought back to his entry. He'd gotten some random picture of some students at Berk and created them into dragons. Overall, he glued it to a large piece of cardstock side by side so you were able to see the comparison. He was actually proud of it.

"Hey…" Hiccup said slowly. "You want to go celebrate?"

Toothless peered up at him curiously. "Celebrate where?"

Hiccup smiled widely. "I know just the place."

…

"Toothless, why don't you try something besides Twizzlers?"

Toothless, who was holding five Twizzlers of red in one hand and black in the other, shook his head. "Nothing can beat Twizzlers."

Hiccup soared over to the Candy Shops chocolate fountain. "Not even chocolate?"

Toothless pursed his lips. "No."

As soon as Toothless was in reach, Hiccup snagged one of the Twizzlers in the teen's hand, ignoring the outcry of anguish. He dipped it halfway into the chocolate fountain, holding it there for a moment, and then pulling it out. The silky chocolate dripped a moment, before slowing. He held it out.

"Oh my God," Toothless said, shifting his Twizzlers so his right hand was free. "This is genius." He took the Twizzler and comped off a bite. He chewed slower and Hiccup watched in hope. Toothless nodded. "It's good?"

"Really?" Hiccup took the rest of it, biting a piece off. His eyes widened. "It's _really_ good."

Toothless laughed. He gave him another Twizzler. "I'm going to go pay for my stuff. Pick something out and I'll get it."

Hiccup's face lit up at the mention of not having his wallet. "Oh, you don't have to do that. I don't really need anything."

Toothless rolled his eyes. "C'mon. Just pick something."

Hiccup bit his lip. "Okay…" His eyes caught a piece of dark chocolate. He picked it up. "Is this okay?"

Toothless rolled his eyes again. "It's fine. You don't need to worry."

Hiccup smiled softly. "Thanks."

Toothless headed to the cashier while Hiccup still drifted around the trials. He had a real sweet tooth, something he got from his mother. He flicked a piece of chocolate in his mouth. He glanced up at where Toothless had gone to get the candy. There was a blonde girl working. She had plump pink lips and curves all around her body with a flawless face. He noticed she smiled a bit too bright and leaned forward with her chest to much towards Toothless. And Toothless just looked…uncomfortable? Really? Hiccup frowned in thought. Most guys would be jumping at the chance of a girl that looked like that. Toothless not only didn't look interested, he looked out of place. Awkward. He'd never seen him like that before.

Hiccup started to walk over. The cashier called out a "Have a nice night, sweetie" with sugar coating her words. Toothless turned and bobbed his head towards the entrance to leave, sticking out his tongue.

They scurried out. As soon as the doors closed, Hiccup asked, "What was that?" He swallowed thickly. "She…totally dug you. I didn't hear what she said and I could tell she was flirting."

Toothless got a sour look on his face. "Not interested. She wasn't my type. Not even close."

Hiccup pursed his lips. "Really? I'm mean, I don't mean to offend you. Any of the guys at Berk would totally ask her out from the way she was looking at you."

Toothless shook his head. "Nah. I don't really like when people flirt so straight forward like that. Especially…you know."

"What do I know?"

Toothless scrunched up his face. "Girls…like that."

Hiccup let out a string of a chuckle. "You mean a cheerleader type: blonde hair, curvy, absolutely, totally into you?" He shrugged. "But…Well, what do I know? I've never been into girls."

Toothless' cheeks lifted. "Yeah, I guess it's kind of hard to explain. He lifted his bag of candy. "Want some?"

"Do I?" Hiccup plucked out his chocolate, nibbling on a bite with a content smile. "Man, I love chocolate."

"Why do you love chocolate so much?"

Hiccup took another bite. "I got my sweet tooth from my mom. I used to eat chocolate all the time."

Toothless cocked his head. "I guess I kind of have a sweet tooth. For Twizzlers."

Hiccup snorted. "I've noticed."

"They're sugary, their a bit sour, they're bad for you. What's not the love?"

Hiccup laughed. "I see what you mean."

…

 **And here I am sprinkling in a few hints. They aren't very subtle, so I hope you get them.**

 **It took me a while to write this. I wasn't sure what to write for a couple days until I was just went** _ **fuck it**_ **and picked up my computer and started writing about the art competition. I know, I know, Hiccup got second place. Boo hoo. That's how I wanted it to be for a reason.**

 **The last part just kind of came out of nowhere. I wasn't very descriptive, I was focused completely on Hiccup and Toothless so I got a bit distracted.**

 **Anyway, thanks for reading! Reviews are amazing!**


	12. Chapter 12

Hiccup looked over to where Snotlout was trying to mess with someone's food. He had his hand hovering over a cherry on an ice cream, nearly touching. Astrid and Fishlegs were standing behind him, looking unimpressed.

Hiccup sighed. "Snotlout, what are you doing?"

"Nothing," he mumbled.

"You're trying to mess with someone's food," Hiccup stated, running a hand over his face. Snotlout got closer to the cherry.

"Would you stop that?" Hiccup hissed.

Snotlout looked up finally. "Stop telling me what to do!"

"I'm telling you what to do because you're going to screw up!"

"I am _not_! Just because you've worked here for years doesn't mean you're better!"

" _Yes_ , it does!"

"No it doesn't!"

"Are you seriously going to do this? Just listen to me for one second in your life and maybe – "

"I'm not listening to you! _You're_ the one who's always better! Blah, blah, blah, Stoick's my dad; I get to do everything I want! Well, it's not _my_ fault Stoick doesn't give a shit about you!"

"I've never said that! I underestimated your thickness! You know well that I – "

"I know well that you just want attention! Maybe if you were just normal, daddy dearest wouldn't have left you that night!"

Hiccup felt like someone shot him in the chest. "H-How do you know about that?"

"You think I'm stupid? I was with Gobber that night when we found you!" Snotlout barked with a strange look on his face. There was more anger than anything. Hiccup took a step back.

"W-What…I don't – " he stuttered.

Snotlout sneered. "Probably because you're just a faggot who can't do anything for him. You should have died that night. I'm sure Stoick would have been glad to get his hiccup of a son. How does it feel to be a used whore for those – "

Hiccup threw hands over his ears, his breathing speeding faster. His stomach churned as more and more unwanted memories replayed in his head. "Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Stop talking!"

"Maybe – "

Hiccup didn't expect Astrid to slap Snotlout over the head. "Would you shut the fuck up? You're freaking him out."

Hiccup eyes burned. Fishlegs stepped towards him, looking like he wanted to say something. He quickly scurried out of the kitchen, dropping his apron to the floor carelessly.

…

It was nighttime.

Hiccup wasn't sure how long he'd been walking. His feet hurt and his legs were getting tired. There was no moonlight, so it was just a murky black above him. Street lamps lined the sides of the chipped sidewalk and cars passed by occasionally. The October air nipped at his cheeks, and he shivered, wishing he'd brought a coat before he'd left the restaurant.

It wasn't long before he reached the school. It was almost eerie seeing no lights and bland windows. He rounded around and went to the old football field. Once he entered, he saw a figure kicking footballs into the goal. The first thought that came to his head was _Get the fuck out of here it's probably Collin or one of the others_ but he noticed how the figure was slim unlike the others. They moved like a cat, elegant and fluid. Toothless.

Hiccup picked up one of the old footballs underneath the bleachers and threw it towards Toothless. He must have heard it because he whirled around and caught it before it could touch the ground. He looked up, saw him. Hiccup waved.

"Hey!" he called.

"Hiccup!" Toothless said in surprise. "What are you doing here so late?"

Hiccup jogged over to him. He hoped Toothless couldn't see how his eyes were red-rimmed from holding back tears underneath the large stadium light. He smiled. "Just got pissed. Want to pass?"

Toothless looked at him for a moment longer before smiling. "No."

Hiccup reeled back. "O-Okay. You…You don't have to. I just – "

"I have a better idea," he said, dropping the ball. He started running towards the entrance of the field. He stopped when he realized Hiccup wasn't following. "You coming?"

"Oh!" Hiccup went after him quickly, a bit dumbfounded. "Where are we going?"

"Somewhere."

"At ten o'clock at night?"

"Yep. C'mon. Follow me."

…

Toothless had a great idea.

He looked over to where Hiccup was humming next to him in his car. He smiled. He turned onto another street. It was out away from school and home, on the outskirts of Berk. Trees passed by as the city disappeared behind them. Hiccup looked around, brows furrowing.

"Where are we going?" he asked.

Toothless' lips quirked. "I already told you. Somewhere."

He could feel Hiccup rolling his eyes. "I know that. Where is this somewhere? Kidnapping would be much easier if you told me where we are going."

"That doesn't make any sense."

"It's not supposed to."

Lights appeared in front of them. Orange, red, purple, all fall colors. The hum of speaks playing music came into earshot. Toothless parked the car in front of it all.

"It's a carnival," Hiccup said breathlessly.

Toothless glanced over to him. Light washed over his face, displaying thousands of tiny freckles dusting over his face with russet hair brushing over his forehead. He pushed it away. Toothless swallowed nervously.

"No," Toothless said. Smiled widely. "It's a Halloween carnival. Hope you're not scared. Let's go."

He got out. Hiccup followed. As they entered, the place was buzzing with people dressed in costumes. There were multiple haunted houses and rides with an entry to a corn maze.

"Wow," Hiccup said. "I've never been to one before."

Toothless chuckled. "I haven't been here since I was a kid." He looked over. "Where do you want to go?"

Hiccup pursed his lips. "Haunted house."

"Oooooh. Are you sure you aren't going to be scared?" he teased.

Hiccup huffed. "You just want me screaming like a little girl and climbing onto your shoulders."

"That would be very amusing."

Hiccup batted his arm. "I happen to like scary movies. So that's plus." At Toothless' grin, his cheeks colored. "Oh, Jesus. Come on."

Toothless was actually surprised Hiccup seemed really excited about going in. They got in line and slipped inside. It went completely dark until dim lights flipped on. They passed by creepy paintings and skeletons. Toothless saw someone reach out of the wall and try to grab Hiccup's arm. The teen shrieked. Toothless laughed, then yelped as someone's fingers brushed against his leg. Hiccup laughed loudly. Like chimes.

A girl with shaggy hair and a cracked doll face walked by then, staring straight at Toothless. Toothless wasn't scared easily, so he just winked at her, which actually surprised her. Hiccup laughed even harder, telling him to stop flirting with dead dolls.

A couple behind screamed, and that caused them to scream. Hiccup grabbed onto his arm. He tried to not look down at him as he took Hiccup's arm. Then they came into a room with vines hanging from the ceiling. They brushed against their shoulders and scalps like fingernails.

"I swear to God, if a bush man or some shit comes out, I'm going to kick him in the balls," Hiccup whispered to him.

Toothless held in a laugh. Something latched onto his ankle, and he yelped louder than before. Hiccup was next to him whispering urgently "What? What is it?" while he yanked back. Nothing was there.

A man covered in green with sharp teeth came out of nowhere and jumped into their faces. Toothless almost slapped him in shock while Hiccup kicked forward. At first, Toothless didn't think he didn't actually do it until the bush guy made a sound of pain. Toothless couldn't help it. He busted out laughing, dragging Hiccup forward, almost knocking people over while calling out half-assed apologies.

When they got out, they were laughing like maniacs. "Oh my God," Hiccup gasped. "I can't believe I did that? Do you think he's okay?"

Toothless snorted. "I think he's okay." Hiccup realized he was still holding onto him. He let go. Toothless saw his red face.

"You want to go on a ride?" he asked. Hiccup's face lit up.

"Yeah!" he said. "Can we go on a Ferris wheel? I've never gone on one before. People say it's really cool."

Toothless smiled. "Of course."

They got onto a Ferris wheel. The seat was red and yellow. It creaked as they slipped inside. They were lifted up high.

"Wow," Hiccup said. He gazed over the view of Berk. "It's amazing. I could definitely make a drawing out of that."

Toothless chuckled. "Probably."

"Thanks by the way," Hiccup said, looking back over to him. Toothless chest thumped faster. "For bringing me here. I really needed it."

"It's no problem," Toothless said softly. "We can't stay on that football field forever. A change of scenery is nice."

"A nice, creepy, scary change of scenery," Hiccup added. He bit his lip, something he always did, Toothless noticed. "Just…thanks. Snotlout was being a real jerk to me."

"Ah, let's not talk about school," Toothless said.

Hiccup bit his lip again. "Okay…I'll ask you a question."

"I may have an answer."

"If you hate football…what do you want to be?"

Toothless pursed his lips. Good question. "A writer."

Hiccup cocked his head to the side. "A writer?"

Toothless chuckled. "Don't look too surprised. I love to write."

"Actually, it doesn't surprise me," Hiccup said. "The way you've said things is really…cool."

"Why, thank you."

"That's the first time."

Toothless looked at him, confused. "What is?"

"That's the first time you've said thank you to me."

Toothless swallowed thickly. Looked away. "Saying thank you is very important to me."

Hiccup laughed. "I feel special."

Toothless smiled and leaned back. "What about you?"

"What about me?" Hiccup asked.

"What do you want to be?" Toothless tapped his chin. "An artist?"

Hiccup looked out to the view again. "I don't think so."

Toothless furrowed his brow. "What?"

Hiccup rolled his eyes and batted his arm. "Oh, don't look so surprised."

"Very funny."

"I will always draw and paint. But I don't think I want that to be my main profession," he said. "I want to help people. Like you do."

Toothless, confused, looked over to him. "Huh? What do you mean?"

"You helped me," Hiccup said. He smiled. "You made me do this." He tapped his lips.

"I made you smile."

"Yeah."

" _I_ made you smile?"

"Are you deaf? That's what I said."

Butterflies. Stomach. Heat in his cheeks. Toothless shifted. "Um. That's cool."

"Are you okay with that?"

"What? Oh!" He avoided Hiccup's eyes. "Uh. Yeah. I'm happy that I'm able to do that. More than you think."

Hiccup smiled again. Eyes shining. "Thanks. I think I want to be something like that. Not really a doctor. Maybe like…I don't know. A therapist."

"I would have never guessed that."

"Have some faith in me, Toothless," Hiccup laughed. "It would be fun to help people. Maybe a counselor. For bullied kids or something."

Toothless knew what he was talking about. He glanced away. He realized the ride was almost over. "Let's hope I don't fall once we stop."

Hiccup laughed. "I think it would be me who would fall."

Toothless smiled. He looked around. Something caught his eye. "I know where we can go next."

…

When Hiccup woke up, orange sunlight was pouring into his eyes. The smell of peppermint. He wasn't in his room. He blinked open his eyes and lifted his head, rubbing his eyes. He was on the backseat of a car. He looked down. Toothless was splayed out on the floor of the car, one leg on the seat, one hand next to Hiccup's arm. Once Hiccup moved, his arm fell to the ground. Still asleep. There was a Twizzler on his chest and the bag was next to him. Then there was cotton candy by Hiccup's feet along with wrapped chocolate all over his shirt.

"What time is it?" Hiccup muttered. He leaned over and nudged Toothless' shoulder. The teen groaned and flipped over to his back.

"One more minute," he muttered.

"Toothless," Hiccup whispered. He glanced out the window. They were still parked at the fair which had workers setting up for the following night. He nudged his shoulder again. "Toothless, get up."

This time Toothless did blink open his eyes. He brushed his hair away from his face. Hiccup started laughing.

"Oh my God," he said. "You still have the stuff on your face."

Black scales dotted underneath Toothless' eyes and a forked tongue was drawn over his lips. "What? Hiccup? What time is it? Why are you laughing?" He paused, observing him. "You're still a tiger."

Hiccup swiped his cheek. Orange face paint came off. He rubbed all around his face. It was dry so it came off fairly easily, but he knew there was some still left. "Why did I pick a tiger?"

Toothless sat up slowly. "Actually, I picked a tiger after you picked a dragon for me. Remember?"

"Oh yeah…" Hiccup perked up suddenly. "Shit!" he hissed. "What time is it?"

Toothless glanced over to the clock at the front of the car. "Nine thirty five. Why?"

"Oh, shit!" Hiccup scrabbled to the front of the car. "I told Gobber I was going to work today because I had to train the others. We got to go!"

Toothless scurried up, nearly falling as he tried to shove himself through the middle of the car to the front. He dropped down into the driver's seat, yanking his keys from his pocket. They sped off in a hurry.

Then they looked at each other. They busted out laughing.

…

They pulled up to the restaurant. "Come on," Hiccup said. "You can wash your face inside and we can finally eat something besides candy."

Toothless chuckled, and they got out of the car. As they went inside, some of the customers looked at them strangely from the face paint on Toothless face and the smudged art on Hiccup's. And his shirt.

As soon as they got to the kitchen, Hiccup's trainees were already there sitting around the counters and aimlessly cleaning dishes while chatting. The chefs were all cooking half-hazardly since business was slow in the mornings. It went silent when they entered.

"Woah…" Ruffnut said. "What hell happened to you guys?"

Astrid had a confused look in her eyes. "And what is _Toothless_ doing here?"

Snotlout looked at them, eyes wide, mouth dropped. "What the fuck…?"

Then Gobber appeared. "Hicca'! I've been calling you! Where 'ave you been?" He stopped and looked over to Toothless. "And who i' this?"

"Uh…this is Toothless," Hiccup said. He shuffled his feet. "Sorry I didn't answer your calls. My phone died."

Gobber looked Toothless up and down. Held out his hand. "Nice to meet you, lad."

"Nice to meet you, too, sir," Toothless said, shaking his hand firmly. Gobber looked pleased. "I'm sorry about Hiccup. We went to a carnival last night and got caught up in everything."

"Yeah, I can see tha'," Gobber said. He looked over to Hiccup. "What is on your face?"

Hiccup laughed sheepishly. "Oh, just some face paint. We'll be right back. We're going to go wash everything off."

Gobber nodded. "Be quick, lads. Business i' gonna start rolling in an hour." He turned to Toothless. "Thank you for bringing him back."

"No problem," Toothless said. Hiccup quickly dragged him away to the employee bathrooms.

Toothless looked in the mirror. "Oh my God, I have cotton candy in my hair."

Hiccup laughed. "Just wash your hair. That's what I'm going to do."

Toothless turned on the faucet and stuck his head underneath the lukewarm water and ran his hands through his hair and rubbed his face to get rid of the dried face paint. "Can you hand me a towel?"

"We're lucky we have something besides paper towels here," Hiccup laughed, handing him a towel. Toothless rubbed his hair and Hiccup moved next to him to stick his head under the water. When he looked back up, drying his hair, he reeled back in shock.

Toothless held out his shirt. "Here."

"W-What?" Hiccup looked down. "Oh. Yeah." He dropped the towel and took the shirt. He slipped off his own shirt. "Thanks."

Toothless tried to look away. Hiccup was skinny, but he wasn't scrawny like everyone thought. He was slim with creamy, freckled skin. He slipped on his shirt. It was big and swam over his torso. Toothless laughed. "Just tuck it in."

Hiccup did just that. It folded over some places, but it fit well enough. Toothless realized his face was red. And there was a bit of face paint.

"Wait," Toothless chuckled. He reached up and brushed the orange paint away lightly. "There. Now you're not a tiger anymore."

Hiccup smiled after a moment. "We took pictures, dimwit."

"Oh yeah. I forgot about that."

Suddenly, the door opened. Astrid stepped in.

"Woah, Astrid! This is not the correct bathroom!" Hiccup hissed.

She gave him an unimpressed look. "I'm aware."

"Then why are you in here?"

She ignored him and looked towards Toothless. "I'm curious. Where's Collin?"

Hiccup saw that stony look cross over Toothless' face whenever another person was around. "How should I know?"

"You're always with him," Astrid said.

"During school maybe," Toothless said. "But I don't worship the ground his walks on."

Astrid's lips thinned. She stayed silent for a moment. "I underestimated you."

"Okay."

"I've never heard you talk before."

"That's nice."

Astrid left with a turn of her heel. Toothless sighed. "I've never liked her."

Hiccup's lips quirked. "I have to like her somewhat. She helped me once."

Toothless looked over to him. "I remember."

Hiccup glanced down at his bare chest. Quickly looked away. "Um…are you just going to walk around without a shirt?"

Toothless shrugged. "Well, yeah. Unless someone wants to donate a shirt."

Hiccup chuckled. "We don't keep shirts around."

"I assumed." Toothless glanced to the mirror. "So, who was that guy? The one I shook hands with."

"Oh. That's Gobber," Hiccup said. "He's the owner of the restaurant. He's been friends with my dad since they were little. He's kind of my…Uncle, I guess. More like a – you know – a father to me."

Toothless nodded. "I see."

"I think he likes you," Hiccup said amusedly. "He once told me 'you can tell a lot from a person by their handshake.'"

"I must have a good handshake," Toothless said.

Hiccup laughed. "I guess so. He looked impressed." He ran a hand through his hair. "You want to go get something to eat before you leave?"

"Sure."

…

 **Honestly, I didn't plan this at all. And it turned out to be one of my favorite chapters.**

 **I finally added some of Toothless' POV. I wasn't planning that either. But it turned out nicely.**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Warnings: references to abuse, rape, stalking, and neglect**

 **Have fun, kids!**

…

…

When school rolled around on Monday, Toothless wasn't surprised when Snotlout stopped him when the bell rang. Collin was gone with his other lackeys, and the students all filed into their classrooms quickly so they weren't late.

Snotlout had a curious look on his face. And irritated. Once the hallway was completely empty, he spoke, "Why were you with Hiccup?"

Toothless scowled, feeling irritated himself. "He happens to be my friend."

"Since when?" Snotlout snarled. "Hiccup doesn't have friends. Never has."

"Just because you're his cousin doesn't mean you know everything about him," Toothless said lowly.

"Just because you're suddenly his "friend" doesn't mean you know his entire life story either," Snotlout retorted. "You don't know anything about him."

"Maybe not," Toothless said. "But I don't care. He's nice and fun to hang out with. What's not to like about him? You all just bully him because he's gay. Who the fuck cares?"

"I care," Snotlout said. " _Stoick_ cares – "

"Now you're saying you care about him?" Toothless snapped. "You try to make his life a living hell, and now you suddenly care about him?"

"You don't know anything about me," Snotlout sneered, getting close to him threateningly. " _You_ don't know anything about me _or_ Hiccup. And you have no right to. So don't act like you do."

"I don't know anything about either of you," Toothless growled. "And that doesn't matter. Hiccup is one of the best people I've ever met and you treat him like shit. It makes me fucking livid! I may not know anything about him, but I know enough to know that loving someone doesn't come with bullying them."

"Shut up," Snotlout barked. "You're not all high and mighty! You don't know anything! If you knew what happened to – " Snotlout clamped his mouth shut. Toothless caught the frightened look on his face, but it disappeared just as fast as his appeared.

"All I knew the other night was Hiccup was pissed at something _you_ said to him," Toothless grounded through clenched teeth. "Maybe I don't know him, but I know what he looks like when he's upset. It looked like someone slapped him across the face. _You_ did that. Maybe if I didn't know so _less_ of you, I would throw a punch."

Snotlout took a step back, his face drooping. "Oh, _shit_. I totally forgot about that." Suddenly, he looked terrified. Toothless was surprised himself. "I can't believe I said that to him. He's – " He stopped, as if he realized Toothless was there. His face came back to its regular anger. "Stay out of our business. Especially mine. I don't care what you do with Hiccup, but I do care about you acting like you know him, so you suddenly know me. You don't know what's happened to him, you have no right." He made a frustrated sound. "Whatever. Do what you want to him. Just…don't…hurt him."

"Says you," Toothless said angrily. "You're torturing him every day. I would never hurt him. You have no right – "

Toothless caught Snotlout's fist that came flying towards his face. "Watch what you say, asshole!" Snotlout barked.

"What's going on here?" a teacher shrieked as she peeked out of her room. "What are you two doing? If you are fighting – "

"Nothing's wrong," Snotlout said, dropping his arm. He glanced towards Toothless. "We were just chatting. Nothing to worry about here."

Toothless glowered at him, even when he turned on his heel and made his way to his class. Toothless sighed, a million questions with no answers floating around his head. But he had no right to ask Hiccup. Something had happened to him. But that was his business. As long as something wasn't hurting him, then he wouldn't ask. Wouldn't pry. Besides, Hiccup never did that to him. Respect.

And trust.

…

"Get back here, fag!" Collin barked.

Hiccup ran faster, pushing his way through people. Someone yelled at him as he accidentally knocked their books out of their hands, but he didn't stop, only calling back a half-assed apology. Collin bounded behind him, nearly on his heels.

It was the end of the day, and Hiccup was supposed to go to the football field, but he was in an obvious predicament. Suddenly, his shoulder was yanked. But he pushed forward with all his strength. Surprisingly, he got away with Collin stuck in the crowd. "You won't be so lucky next time tomorrow, freak!"

He slipped out of the school and to the field, finally able to calm his speeding breath. His shoulders drooped as his adrenaline dropped. "Jesus," he muttered.

He sat down on the bleachers. Toothless wasn't long to show up. He clomped up the bleachers and sat right next to him. Hiccup could feel heat as his arm pressed into his, even through his coat. The air brushed through Toothless' hair, revealing his electric green eyes. Hiccup swallowed as his body heated up even more, his cheeks coloring. He propped his feet up against the seats in front of them next to Toothless', leaning back and breathing in the cold air.

"I like this weather," Hiccup said. "It's cold, but it's not winter cold."

"That's because it's not winter yet," Toothless laughed.

"Let me have my moment."

Hiccup saw Toothless' eyes dart out to his feet. "Snotlout talked to me today."

"Oh?" Hiccup questioned. "He's on the football team. I thought you guys talked."

"Hell no. I've never liked the guy," Toothless said. Hiccup snorted. "It's just…it was more like an argument. About what he said to you the other day – "

"Oh my God, he didn't tell you, did he?" Hiccup asked urgently, sitting up abruptly in shock. He locked eyes with Toothless. His own burned with tears. "Please tell me he didn't…"

"No! No, no, no," Toothless rambled. "It's…no. He didn't say anything, but…I think he regrets saying whatever he said. He couldn't believe he said that to you."

Hiccup leaned back, choking back on tears. If Toothless knew, he would surely leave him…just like everyone else. Any friend he's ever managed to have had always left when they found out on accident. A slip up or connections with the police. They always left.

"Oh." Hiccup wasn't sure what to say. "Sorry I freaked out. I didn't mean…just, sorry."

"You don't have to apologize for anything," Toothless said. "Besides, you know I'm not some dumb person that judgmental. I even told you I hate football."

Hiccup bit his lip, hard. Hard enough for pain. He was so unsure. "Can I ask you something then?"

"Of course."

He suddenly sniffed. "Oh, shit. I'm a mess now."

Toothless nudged him with his shoulder. "It's fine. If you tell or ask me something, then I'll do the same, okay? We'll make a deal."

Hiccup nodded. "Okay." He took a breath, his stomach twisting in knots. "H-Has…Has something so bad happened to you…it messed you up for life?"

"Yeah."

Hiccup looked over to him. "Really?"

"Yeah." Toothless shifted. "Never said anything about it though."

"Oh…that's cool." Hiccup sputtered, realizing what he'd said. "No! I'm sorry, you know what I mean. I didn't – "

Toothless laughed. Long and hard. "It's alright, Hiccup. I know what you meant." He paused. "I guess I get to say something then."

"Oh, yeah."

Toothless crossed his legs. "The thing that messed me up was my dad."

"I'm sorry."

Toothless shook his head. "It's okay. Not your fault. Besides, it's okay now. Even though it still haunts me to this day." He pursed his lips. "You probably have no idea what I'm talking about."

"I don't know exactly," Hiccup said. "But I have an idea."

"He's in prison now. My mom's dead."

"I'm sorry."

Toothless groaned. Then he chuckled lightly. "You don't have to say sorry for things that aren't your fault."

"Sorry. Oh shit, sorry. Oh, wait." Hiccup rolled his eyes at Toothless' laugh. "We are so bad at this."

"We aren't like normal people though," Toothless said, "so it's okay."

"I have three things that messed me up," Hiccup blurted. He suddenly sighed. "Wow that felt good to say." He bit his lip again. "You're not going to tell anyone, right?"

"You know my messed up story," Toothless said. "I wouldn't tell a soul ever. Will you not tell mine?"

"I promise." Hiccup held out his pinkie. "Pinkie promise."

"To death," Toothless said. He crossed his pinkie with Hiccup's. Shots of lightning.

"I got in a car crash and lost my leg and my mom. Then my dad went into a depression and left me at home for two months. I got stalked and some guys did some stuff to me."

Hiccup yelped when Toothless wrapped an arm around him and pulled him into a side hug. Toothless seemed surprised he made a sound. "Sorry."

"It's fine." Hiccup gulped. Heat flooded his cheeks. "No one's hugged me for years." He chuckled a moment. "Well, more like a side hug."

"You looked like you needed one," Toothless said. "And me."

"Wow, tough guy admitting he wanted a hug," Hiccup giggled. "That's surprising."

Toothless didn't pull away. He kept his arm around him. It was a nice feeling.

"You want to get out of the cold?" Hiccup asked.

"And go where?" Toothless asked curiously. "I really don't want to go back inside that damned high school."

"Not inside there," Hiccup chuckled. "I'll show you. Come on. You already surprised me last week. Let me give it a try."

…

…

 **Yay, finally got some backstory in. See? Snotlout's not a complete emotionless asshole. Even got some of Toothless' story in there. I didn't want to go in depth or anything like that.**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Warnings: Absolute gayness, boy x boy kissing**

…

…

"Home sweet home, I guess."

Toothless looked around. The house was absolutely _huge_. At least three story with pristine windows and build. Hardwood floors, freshly painted walls, clean, leather couches, clear staircase.

"Wow," he breathed. "Only you and your dad live here?"

"Yeah, well, mostly me," he said lightly, floating into the next room, dropping his bag on the couch. He waved a hand around to the room. Pictures framed the walls of paintings and a few family members. "This is the living room." He beckoned him down the hall into another large room with granite countertops, fresh stove, and waxed tiles. "And this is the kitchen."

"Jesus," Toothless breathed. "Do you clean every day?"

Hiccup scoffed. "Fuck no. I just never come in here. Every few weeks I dust. That's it. Besides, if my dad came home to see crap everywhere he would get mad and I'd be cleaning until I couldn't feel my leg."

Toothless observed one of the portraits. "Who is this?" There was a large man with a red beard next to another bulky man with a shorter black beard. "They look like Vikings."

"That's because they are," Hiccup said. "My dad's the red head and the other guy is my Uncle, Spitelout, Snotlout's dad." He chuckled. "I'm the only boy in the family who hasn't met up to their Viking expectations."

"You mean…?"

"Yes. Muscle."

"Oh." Toothless cocked his head. "So your entire family are Vikings?"

"You've met Snotlout," Hiccup huffed. "You know how he is. Still not as idiotic as Spitelout, though."

"That says a lot."

"Yes. Yes it does."

Toothless chuckled. "Come on," Hiccup said. "Let's go upstairs. I can show you my room."

They trotted up the stairs. When they got to Hiccup's room, Toothless gazed at the many drawings littering the walls. There were a few clothes thrown around, but it was otherwise clean. The desk was splattered with paint and pencil lead. "Wow, I can tell you live in here rather than in the entire house."

Hiccup laughed. "Yeah. You're lucky. You didn't see it a few weeks ago. I cleaned out from underneath my bed. I'm pretty sure something moved down there. Luckily, I donated most of the clothes I wasn't wearing."

"That's what I do."

"What?"

"For clothes and stuff I don't need," Toothless said. "I donate it."

"I find it exciting." Hiccup plopped on his bed. "I'm helping someone by giving something up that used to be mine. It's nice."

"Very," he agreed.

Biting his lip, Hiccup said, "I know it's not as interesting as the carnival, but I'm not very good at this kind of stuff."

Toothless waved him off. "This is much more interesting than the carnival." He scanned the walls. "How long did it take you to fill up the walls?"

Hiccup scoffed. "I filled up the walls when I was little. I've just been taking stuff up and down over the years."

"What's this?" Toothless asked, pointing to a drawing of an invention.

"Something I made up a long time ago," Hiccup said sheepishly. "I used to make stuff. I don't do it much anymore, but I still like to keep everything so I don't forget."

"It's smart," he said. "The drawing and keeping everything." He pursed his lips. "I like to build stuff, too."

"Really?"

"Don't get your hopes up," Toothless laughed. "I work more on cars than anything. It's a hobby. Better than football, but not quite as good as writing in my opinion. It's something I'll probably do on the side in the future, like you and your art."

"You should show me some of your writing," Hiccup said. "I'm very interested."

Toothless bit his lip. Wow, he bit his lip. "I've never shown anyone my writing before."

Hiccup shrugged. "You don't have to, it's up to you. You're the first person I showed my sketchbook to." He inhaled quickly. "Oh, wait! That didn't come out correctly! I wasn't trying to guilt trip you or anything!"

"I know what you meant," Toothless chuckled. "And maybe I will. It's just, I don't keep my writing. I'll write something, a story or a plot line, and then I'll make something out of it, then throw it away. Just for practice."

Hiccup gasped. "Don't do that! You have to keep all your writing!" He gestured to all his pictures. "That's what I did, and let me tell you, I'm happy I did. It's nice to look how far you've come, and funny."

Toothless smiled. "That's really good advice. I'll remember that."

"Touché. I'm a very good advice giver. Bow down."

Toothless laughed.

…

"I want to teach you how to fight."

Hiccup reeled back, looking up at Toothless. " _What_?"

Toothless shrugged, catching the football Hiccup had just thrown to him. "I want to teach you how to fight. Just defense. Stuff like that."

Hiccup laughed nervously. "You know how to fight?"

Toothless scoffed. "Of course. And don't try to change the subject."

"I don't think I'd be the best student," Hiccup said sheepishly. "I can't fight at all."

"Everyone knows something," Toothless said, tossing the football back. Hiccup caught it.

"I don't know…" Hiccup cleared his throat. "When I was really little, my dad taught me how to use a knife."

"Are you talking about cooking or fighting? I can't tell."

Hiccup rolled his eyes. "Fighting, dimwit. I mean, I can't throw knives very well, but I know how to. And my dad taught me how to, you know, stab and whatever – if someone's trying to hurt me."

"See?" Toothless grinned. "You know something. Are you good at it?"

Hiccup shook his head. "Not really, honestly. I think I forget how to do it."

"You _think_."

"Don't twist my words."

Toothless chuckled. "Come here."

Hiccup swallowed thickly and went over. He stood still until Toothless grabbed one of his arms gently and lifted it up horizontal. Hiccup yelped. "What?" Toothless asked.

Heat flooded to his cheeks. "N-Nothing. Just go on before I chicken out."

Toothless wedged a leg between Hiccups's. Hiccup avoided eye contact, completely apprehensive. Toothless nudged his left foot to the side a little. "Bend you knees a bit." Hiccup did that. Toothless lifted his other arm. "There."

"What is this supposed to be?"

He rolled his eyes. "This is your standard fighting position."

"I feel ridiculous."

" _That's_ because you doubt yourself." Toothless took a step back. "Now pretend I'm someone who's trying to hurt you. What should you do?"

"Turn and run."

Toothless sighed. "No. I would tackle you from behind and pin you to the ground."

 _I wouldn't mind,_ Hiccup thought. His face heated. _Bad, bad thoughts, Hiccup! Do not think about that right now!_

Toothless came forward and put a hand on his bicep. "So if I grabbed your arm, you would bring your other arm" – He took his other arm and bent it at the elbow, sweeping it around to lie on his own forearm " – and smash it down. As hard as you can."

"Can't I just kick them in the balls?"

"That may have worked on the guy at the Haunted House, but it won't work on all people," Toothless laughed. "I play football, so I've bit hit so many times I've gotten over it."

"What if a girl attacked me, then?"

"Why would a girl attack you?"

"Maybe it's Astrid. Maybe she decides she doesn't like me at all and wants to kill me."

Toothless gave a breathy laugh. "Then you can kick."

"Great."

Toothless rolled his eyes. "Now lay on the ground."

Hiccup swallowed thickly. "I-I don't know."

"You don't have to if you don't want to," Toothless said softly.

"N-No. It's fine." Hiccup dropped to the ground in a sitting position. "What now?"

Toothless crouched down next to him. "Lay on your back."

Hiccup leaned back flat on the ground. "Okay…"

Suddenly, Toothless was hovering over him. Hiccup made a choked sound, but swallowed before Toothless could notice. The heat, the position, it was really getting to him…

Toothless' hair hung down, almost brushing his face. "Now," he said, his soft breath brushing against his cheeks. "What if someone has you like this?"

Hiccup gulped. "I-I don't know. Push them off?"

"Maybe," Toothless said. "But what if they're stronger than you?"

"I don't…know…"

Toothless seemed to get closer to him. Hiccup's eyes gazed down to his nose and to his cheekbones and then to his lips. And then he blinked. In that moment, the memories came back. He brought his knee up, smashing it into Toothless' stomach. Toothless grunted, reeling back. "Ow."

"Oh my Gosh," Hiccup cried. "I'm so sorry! I-I just…I remembered – " He sighed in frustration. "I'm sorry…"

"It's fine," Toothless said. "It didn't even hurt that bad. You're stronger than I thought you were."

Hiccup looked at him. No pain. He let out a relieved breath. "I'm sorry."

"Bad memories," Toothless said. "I know what you mean." He chuckled. "Besides, you did exactly what you were supposed to do. Well, I mean, you weren't supposed to use it on me, but you did the move perfect."

Hiccup couldn't help but laugh long and hard. "Oh my God, how can you just forgive me like that? I just kneed you in the stomach."

Toothless started laughing with him. And then they were on the ground hysterically.

"Are you really okay?" Hiccup asked after he'd calmed down. "I mean, I know I'm not that strong, but still…"

"I'm fine," Toothless chuckled. "You don't give yourself enough credit. You're pretty strong."

"Ha ha, very funny," Hiccup said sarcastically. They lay in the grass next to each other. Then Toothless leaned over and pressed his lips to Hiccups. Hiccup stayed still, stunned. Toothless pulled away. "Sorry."

Hiccup leaned forward in a burst of confidence and kissed him. Toothless was immediately above him, molding his lips perfectly to his. It was chaste, it was sweet, and it was amazing. Toothless smiled, opening his mouth more while Hiccup followed. And his hands dove down to Hiccup's shoulders, and then to his hips, and underneath his shirt, just kneading warm skin. Hiccup tangled his fingers into Toothless' dark hair.

They pulled away for breath. "You have no idea how long I've been waiting to do that," Toothless mumbled.

"I didn't get a flashback," Hiccup said quietly.

Toothless glanced down at him. "A flashback?"

"Y-Yeah. From the guys…yeah." Hiccup cleared his throat.

Toothless bit his tongue. "Can I kiss you again?"

"You don't have to ask."

…

 **Yeah, I couldn't take any more waiting, either.**

 **Now the story really begins ;)**

 **I have a few things planned out. This story is not going to be, like, action packed, or any of that jazz. More stuff with emotions and the impact of bullying and dealing with that. And a sprinkle of Stoick is coming soon. Not really a sprinkle. A very big sprinkle. Like, a glob. Whatever.**

 **Thanks so much for reading!**


	15. Chapter 15

The next day was just like every other day. Hiccup felt like he should feel different, and he did, but everyone carried on with their lives as if the most amazing thing hadn't happened to him. The feel of Toothless' lips still tingled and his shoulders felt light. He couldn't stop himself from smiling softly to himself throughout the school day.

The week went on, and Hiccup was still in high spirits from Toothless and him. They shared kisses, still talked like they always have. But their hands weren't always so far away and their smiles were always ghosting somewhere. It was a wonderful feeling to both of them. Is this what it felt like to be _alive_ and _happy_?

"Hiccup…I'm sorry."

The plate in Hiccup's hands slipped and clattered into the sink, drawing some chefs' attention. Red covered his face and he quickly made sure it wasn't broken. Glancing over to Snotlout, he bit the inside of his cheek. "I'm sorry; I must have heard you wrong. Were you talking to me?"

Snotlout scowled deeply and shot deadly glares to the people watching them in shock. A waiter scrambled out of the kitchen while the chefs just started cooking faster and louder to drown out their voices, knowing well they needed privacy.

Snotlout shuffled his foot awkwardly. "About what I said last week. I really shouldn't have said that to you."

"D-Did…" Hiccup swallowed. "Did you just… _apologize_?"

Snotlout pursed his lips, irritated. "Don't make me repeat it."

Hiccup looked away. "You're lucky I'm forgiving."

"I don't need your forgiveness," Snotlout said, and Hiccup knew he was bluffing. "I'm just saying it because I was being a jerk and made a real dick move. I know how you are after…that."

"Yeah. Except you weren't there until they were gone, were you?" Hiccup said snappily. He gulped. "Sorry. I don't mean to be rude."

"Whatever." Snotlout sniffed defiantly. "Anyway, just…I won't say stuff like that again."

"No. You'll _try_ to not say stuff like that again."

"Don't act like a jerk while I'm trying to apologize here," Snotlout snapped. "I'll _try_ not to. You know I don't mean it."

Hiccup could practically hear Toothless in his head saying, _Give him a chance. But don't be too nice. He'll think you're being a pushover._ He stopped himself from snorting. "Yeah. I know." He cleared his throat. "Would you get back to work?"

Snotlout turned away. "Fine."

Hiccup took in a breath and exhaled shakily. He'd almost forgotten how Snotlout wasn't all that different from him. He wasn't the only one in his family that had bad luck.

…

"I have a game this Saturday," Toothless said. "I was thinking maybe you could come."

Hiccup looked over to him, his mouth hanging open. "Are you _serious_? I'll get killed."

"You don't have to come," Toothless said lightly. "I was thinking we could go out after."

"You mean like a date?"

Red showered over Toothless' cheeks. "Well…yeah."

"A _real_ date?"

"Yeah…"

Hiccup smiled, easing Toothless' nerves. "Of course." He pursed his lips. "Well, I actually have to work Saturday, but you can pick me up when the games over." Eyebrows furrowed. "Don't you go out with the players after a game? Usually you win and come to the restaurant, according to Gobber."

Toothless shrugged. "Yeah. But all they do is be loud and try to hit on the waitresses, which never works by the way. Most of the time I make an excuse and leave, so we'll just sneak away."

"Oh?" Hiccup smiled teasingly. "Where are we going to go?"

"Not another carnival. At least, not yet. We'll just fall asleep again." Toothless chuckled. "How about…no. I'm going to make it a surprise."

Hiccup pouted, leaning his head on Toothless' shoulder, looking out to the football field. "Aw. I hate surprises."

"That's a shame."

Hiccup batted his leg. Toothless smiled his lopsided smile that made Hiccup's insides flutter and leaned over, pecking his nose. "It's cold."

"What – my nose, or the weather?"

Toothless laughed. "It's almost Christmas. Duh. I meant both."

Hiccup grinned. "Very funny." He thought about telling Toothless about Snotlout's apology, but he decided he didn't want to break the moment. "I can't wait for winter break."

"I know," Toothless sighed. "It's still two weeks away though. Two weeks too far."

"Oh, pish posh," Hiccup giggled. "You have the patience of a cricket." He sighed. "The best part of winter is the Christmas cookies."

"I like the hot chocolate."

"I thought you weren't fond of chocolate," Hiccup said amusedly.

"That doesn't mean I don't like it," Toothless scoffed. "Hot chocolate is a delicacy."

"That's reassuring. I thought you would never eat chocolate."

"I like it, but I prefer to _drink_ it."

Hiccup laughed. "Playing with my words? You _are_ a writer."

"At heart," Toothless smiled, leaning over and pressing his lips against his. His insides flip flopped as Hiccup kissed back with all he had. "You're a good kisser."

Hiccup leaned away, his face blazing. "Oh, don't say that. You know I'm not."

"Yeah, you are." Toothless kissed him again, more passionately. Hiccup's hands were suddenly in his soft hair.

"Does this mean we're dating?" Hiccup mumbled against his lips, still not opening his eyes, lost in the sensations. "The question has been bothering me."

"I would like to think so," Toothless said with a smile. He titled Hiccup's chin up. Pressed more. "I've never dated a guy before, though, so you're going to have to work with me."

Hiccup pulled away, his eyes wide. "You? First of all, I've never been kissed before you or dated anyone. Second, I didn't even know you were gay."

Toothless laughed sheepishly. "Yeah. I've never really told anyone. It's been my dirty little secret since I was fourteen."

Hiccup nodded. Then he smiled smugly. "So, you have dated girls before?"

Toothless couldn't help but chuckle, a blush covering his cheeks. From the cold or what he'd said – Hiccup wasn't sure. "Yeah. I dated last year, remember."

Hiccup pursed his lips. "…Oh, yeah. Wasn't that Abby what's-her-name?"

"Abby Kelly," Toothless said. "And then there was Gabby Furner. Then Anna Goodwood."

"So technically a bunch of the popular girls?"

Toothless looked away from him. "In my terms, I wouldn't even call it dating. Collin set me up with them because I was "being a prude" and "not social." Thanks, Collin."

"I like to think of him as a Satan spawn." Hiccup observed his shoes. "I mean, it would make sense."

"It would," Toothless agreed. "I don't understand why he bullies people. I mean, we've been told most bullies have something going on a home or they just want to make themselves feel better. At his house, everything's perfect. His parents love him, and he loves them, too. At least, I think so. He tries to not act all un-Satan spawn around us." He chuckled lightly. "And his ego's as big as a mountain."

"He probably just wants to make himself feel better or superior or whatever," Hiccup said. "Or…maybe he's just not happy with himself."

"Maybe," Toothless said. "It would make sense. He's a pretty closed off guy." He scowled. "He still has no right to hurt you like that."

Hiccup sighed heavily. "Toothless, I'm telling you. I've never really let them get to me."

"You've never _really_ let them get to you."

"That's what I said."

"You said you kind of let them get to you, whether it's in the past or present." Toothless looked down at Hiccup's small hand. Covered it with his own. "If you need to rant, you can to me."

Hiccup bit his lip. "I…I've never really looked into what they've said Toothless. At least…" He bit his lip even harder, conflicted with himself. Had he? "I don't think so."

"You were so shy when I met you," Toothless said softly. "You were afraid to talk. And…" He looked up at the sky bashfully. "I was, too."

Hiccup played with Toothless' fingers. Had he ever taken what all his countless bullies have said to him in the past to mind? What about right now? He'd never really thought about it. And, well, maybe he did.

"I didn't realize that." Hiccup swallowed, feeling any confidence in himself slip. "I didn't even know I was listening to them," he whispered.

Toothless slipped an arm around his shoulders, blocking the cold from his body. "I…I didn't even know…" Hiccup glanced up at him. "Was I afraid to talk?"

"You weren't afraid," Toothless murmured. "If you were afraid then we wouldn't even be talking now. You were just…cautious. Words really do hurt."

Hiccup suddenly laughed humorlessly. "That stupid quote thing about sticks and stones is really dumb."

Toothless smiled. "Yeah."

"Do…" Hiccup sighed. "Do you…think I'm actually like that?" he asked quietly. "All those things they've said about me. Is it true?"

"None of it," Toothless said. He shrugged. "Yeah, you're gay. You're anti-social, in the best way, of course. You don't trust easily. You're quiet. Shit has happened."

Hiccup gave him an unamused look. "Way to make me feel better."

"I'm gay. I'm anti-social. I don't trust easily. I'm quiet. Shit has happened to me." Toothless' lips quirked. "We're not so different, are we?"

"I see what you're getting at," Hiccup said. "I'll tell you what happened to me…someday."

"And I'll tell you what happened to me…someday."

Hiccup hoped that day was soon, because he'd never felt his heart melt as much as it did then. What happened to him was an important part of his laugh and he'd never told anyone what'd happened in his way.

They both looked at each other. And then started laughing. And then Toothless caught his lips. And then everything in that moment was perfect.

…

When Hiccup got home, he spotted a car. In his driveway. With sleek, perfect grey paint job and shiny trim, it blended right in with the expensive house. Hiccup's heart dropped, and for once in his life, he didn't want to go inside and ask his father where he went. What he'd been doing. How he was. Trying to reason. He didn't want to go inside. He didn't want to move. So, for several minutes, he stood at the end of the drive way, probably looking like an idiot.

He swallowed thickly and silently pattered inside, trying to close the door as silent as he could. The kitchen light was on. He tried going up the steps, but his foot slipped, and his prosthetic made a _thump_ as it slipped to the step beneath him.

"Hiccup?" his dad called out, curious. "Is that you?"

 _Shit, shit, shit, shit_. He did not want to deal with this right now. He had a good day. He somehow avoided his bullies. He got to spend extra time with Toothless today. Why did this have to happen? When had he become so apprehensive with talking to his father?

He went into the kitchen. Stoick was sitting at the counter, looking over the pile of mail they'd gotten. He glanced up when he walked in. "Hi, dad."

"Jesus, what's with all these bills?" Stoick muttered. He looked up at him. "You should stop leaving so many lights on."

"I…only leave my room light on because I fall asleep at my desk most nights," Hiccup said timidly. Stoick grumbled under his breath. "What are you doing home – "

"Can you make sure the house stays clean this weekend? I have people coming over," Stoick said.

"Oh…okay…" Hiccup turned on his heel. "Um. Goodnight."

No answer. Hiccup trotted to his room, sliding his backpack to the ground. Then he kicked it. Sighing, he dropped onto his bed and pulled out his phone, sending a message to Snotlout.

 _What is Stoick doing home?_

A replied after a few seconds.

 _Probably done with his trip. Now let me sleep._

Hiccup considered texting Toothless. He realized how stupid that was. He was overreacting. He thought back to when Toothless gave him his number. _Call me about anything,_ Toothless said. _Sad, happy, sick, zombie apocalypse, call me._ He chuckled.

Maybe tomorrow would be better.

…

…

 **Finally Stoick's here. I was planning to bring him in later, but, you know, why not now? I don't know.**

 **Some comments have been wanting me to elaborate on what had happened to Hiccup (and Toothless, come on guys), but there's a reason why I'm waiting. Trust me, I will later on.**

 **Got some Snotlout. Some gay fluffies. Some Stoick. All's good. All's good.**

 **I would like to thank you all who have commented. You've really kept me going!**

 **Thanks for reading. Reviews!**


	16. Chapter 16

"You do realize it's like two degrees outside, right?"

Hiccup jerked in surprise, nearly smacking his head on the jagged edge of his locker. Toothless was standing behind him with hidden smile.

"What are you doing here?" Hiccup hissed, eyes darting around to the students that eyed them in shock, and, for some, wary. "People are going to suspect something."

"I don't care what they think," Toothless shrugged. "I was passing by on the way to the locker room because I forgot my duffel bag. We're going to the field in a few minutes and you don't have a coat."

Hiccup's eyes drifted back to his locker. "I didn't have time to grab it this morning."

Toothless eyed him worriedly. "Why?"

Hiccup sighed. "Look, I'm not in a good mood, okay?" He lolled his head to the students who were staring. "Let's get to the field without making a scene."

That didn't work. As soon as the last word passed his lips, he looked over just in time to see Collin waltz next to him, lingering, and then jutting his arm out to knock his shoulder into the metal behind. Hiccup grunted, nearly slipping on his prosthetic, barely managing to keep himself upright. And then Collin was shoved right next to him, causing him to scramble away before he was smashed.

"What the hell, man?" Collin hissed, rubbing his broad jawline that started to take over a purple color. He glared daggers at Toothless. "What the fuck was that for?"

"Lay off, Collin," Toothless snapped heatedly, reaching out and slipping Hiccup away behind him. Hiccup, eyes wide, noticed the crowd of students that started to circle around them. Some of them curious and some of them obviously were wanting to see a fight, especially between two of the strongest guys at Berk High.

Confusion slid over Collin's face, then anger. "You're protecting the homo now? You know he deserves what he gets – "

Hiccup saw that same stony façade chip into Toothless' face. But he was able to see the anger. "Toothless – "

"No, he doesn't, Collin," Toothless said, ignoring the boy behind him. "Just step off." His shoulders were rigid and every muscle tensed in his body. Hiccup realized he was ready to fight. To fight for _him_. Why the hell would Toothless risk his reputation for _him_?

And then Collin looked away from Toothless and over to him. There was a different look in his eyes, he noticed. A hungry look. A not-so-good look that sent shivers of fear down his spine. "We don't fight," Collin said, almost bored. "Why are you protecting him?"

"Because you're being an ass, Collin," Toothless said hollowly. "Don't touch him."

Collin looked over to him. Then Toothless. Then back to him. "Fine," he said simply. He walked forward and pushed passed Toothless. "But don't expect this to last long."

While Toothless watched Collin go, Hiccup set a hand on his arm. That seemed to snap him out of it. He looked back to Hiccup, and then shook his head. "Let's go."

When they left through the entrance, Toothless veered the wrong way. "Toothless, what are you – "

Toothless glanced over his shoulder with a soft expression. "Come on."

Hiccup followed. They got to Toothless' car, a simple black. It smelled like peppermint, like Toothless. Toothless started the engine while he stayed silent, not sure what to say. Toothless didn't look mad or anything like that, just…bothered almost. That was the only thing he was able to decipher.

They drove in silence. Hiccup rested his cheek against the window while Toothless stared forward. When they pulled into a neighborhood Hiccup had never seen, he watched with interest. There were nice, sweet houses that passed. Obviously middle class, something Hiccup had never experienced. It was nice. Fresh cut lawns and a few children playing in the yards with trees lining around the sidewalk.

"Here," was the only thing Toothless said as they pulled into one of the houses driveway. It was brick with a red painted door and a small front patio.

"Is this where you live?" he asked. It really was beautiful.

"Yeah." Toothless leaned over and planted a kiss on his lips. Then all around his cheeks and nose. Then to his lips again. "I'm sorry about that. I got carried away."

"Why would you risk all that for me?" he whispered.

"Because you're much more important," Toothless answered immediately. "I don't care what they think or assume or speak. I matter, you matter. That's all I need to know."

Hiccup kept down the flush of tears that came to his eyes. "We're such saps," he said.

Toothless cracked a smile. "I know. It comes with being a hopeless romantic."

"That's good to know," Hiccup giggled. He added absentmindedly, "My dad came home last night."

Toothless glanced over to him. "Are you okay?"

"Fine," he answered. "I just…never really get used to it."

Another kiss. "It's okay."

"Do you live here all alone?" he asked.

"Yeah," Toothless said. He looked at it wistfully. "I lived with my aunt until I was sixteen after my dad got thrown in jail and my mom died. They were really, really wealthy, so I use some of my inheritance to pay for mortgage and all that stuff. Though, I want to get a job."

"You can just come work at the restaurant," he joked. "Gobber sure likes you. He'd give it to you in a heart-beat."

Toothless smiled goofily. "I'll hold you to that."

Heat blossomed on his cheeks from the tease in Toothless' eyes. "O-Okay. You do that."

"Come on. I'll show you inside."

They got out and pattered up the small stairs to the door. Toothless pulled out his keys and opened the door. They stepped in, and Hiccup found himself breathing in the peppermint and smoky wood smell that lingered everywhere. It was soft and hung high. It reminded him of a campfire.

Sky blue painted walls, cushioned seats, and wood. It was like a large cottage. Toothless shifted his feet. "Do you like it," he asked.

He caught the bashfulness in Toothless' tone. "It's amazing. I love it way more than my house." He waved a hand to everything. "It's all so…I can't even put it into words. It reminds me almost of a cabin, but more…modern, you know?"

"I take that as a good thing?"

"Yes," Hiccup laughed. "He stood on his tip-toes and pressed a kiss to Toothless' lips. "Why so shy all of a sudden."

"Oh." Toothless coughed and rubbed the back of his neck. "I've never really brought anyone over before."

"I feel special," Hiccup said. Something caught his eyes. "Oooooooh, look at this." He held up a lava lamp. "Very nice. I've always wanted one."

Toothless laughed. "Much favorite colors."

Hiccup gazed at the green and dark blue. "Mine are dark purple and orange."

Toothless raised a brow. "Really? I would have never thought."

Hiccup looked up at him. "Oh, really? What did you assume?"

Toothless shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe something…brighter."

Hiccup giggled, swatting his arm. "Just because I'm gay doesn't mean I like all the colors in the rainbow."

Toothless smiled. "That's not what I meant." He waved to the dark oak steps. "Want to see my room?"

"Of course." Hiccup followed him upstairs. Dark curtains and rich wooden banister. Everything was so…old fashioned. I was cute.

They entered a room. It was relatively big with a queen sized bed and a large desk with school work on top. A large bookshelf covered the entirety of one wall, filled with small and thick books alike, novels and series. Hiccup floated over to them, rubbing his finger over the spines. He took a large one off, opening it. " _Inkheart_ ," he muttered. "Nice choice. One of my favorite books."

"Yeah," Toothless said, plopping onto his bed. " _Hunger Games, The Host, To Kill a Mockingbird_..." He stopped at a book and a grin stretched over his face. " _Eragon_. Very, very nice choice."

"One of my favorite fantasy books," Toothless said, a hint of amusement coating his voice. "And it has dragons."

"Have you read all of these?" he asked, gesturing to the entire bookshelf.

Toothless shrugged. "Yeah, and more. All of those I've collected over the years. Best plots, story lines, dialogue, writing, you name it, I kept it."

"I see you don't have _Twilight_ ," Hiccup said with a quick of his lips.

Toothless chuckled. "Yeah, not really into that series. Vampires aren't really my thing."

"I know what you mean," Hiccup said. "I was serious, you know. About getting a job at the restaurant."

"And I was serious about thinking about it," Toothless replied. "I…I've never had a real job before. Is being a waiter hard?"

"Harder than most think," Hiccup laughed. "But you aren't clumsy or anything. And very persuasive. You'd be great at it with a little training."

Toothless quirked a brow. "And how is the training with all the others?"

Hiccup groaned, slipping the book back onto the shelf. "Terrible. I would have assumed at least one of them would be good to go after a month and a half of training. But no. Not even Astrid. She is always pulled into competitions with Ruffnut and Tuffnut. I thought she was responsible enough, but apparently she can't turn down a stupid dare."

"That sounds like hell."

"Oh, it is."

Toothless laughed. Then a solemn look crossed his face. "And…is Snotlout being nice?"

Hiccup waved the question off. "He apologized last week." He plopped down next to Toothless, leaning his head onto his shoulder. "I've never heard him apologize much less say it to me. He…kind of crossed the line from what he said, and he knew it. But it's okay now. He hasn't been teasing me or anything like that."

"That's good," Toothless hummed, laying back. Hiccup followed.

"You smell good," he said. Toothless chuckled.

"Why, thank you."

Hiccup swung a leg over his lips. Toothless almost choked in surprise. Then lips were on his, hands in hair and caressing cheeks. Then Hiccup pulled away. "I like you," Hiccup said.

"I like you too," Toothless said amusedly. "I thought that was a given."

Hiccup looked away bashfully. Toothless' hands moved to his hips. "Well, I _really_ like you."

Red covered Hiccup's face. "O-Oh?" was all he could manage.

Kiss. "I don't really care if we're saps or anything." Kiss. "But I really do like you."

"You're so nice to me," Hiccup whispered, lips brushing against Toothless'. "How can you?"

"Because you're nice, smart, and funny," Toothless whispered back. "Very funny, actually. You're a person like me. A person that this person likes."

A bubble of laughter burst from Hiccup's throat. "I think I'm hysterical."

"That's okay." Toothless cupped his cheek. Kissed. Lightning. "I think I am, too. I mean, who meets such a great guy that likes _books_?"

"I'm flattered," Hiccup said. "That applies to you, too." He sat up on Toothless' hips, and Toothless tried to keep his eyes on Hiccup's while heat filled his cheeks. "'I think of my life as a kind of music, not always good music but still having form and melody'," he recited proudly.

" _East of Eden_ ," Toothless said with a grin.

Hiccup leaned back down, resting his chin on his hand while lying on Toothless' chest. "I'm going to be honest, that's the only quote I've ever memorized from a book."

"At least it wasn't William Shakespeare's 'To be or not to be, that is the real question.' That quote makes me want to bang my head against the wall I've heard it so many times."

Hiccup giggled. "Now you go."

"'Hey, boo.' _To Kill a Mockingbird_."

Hiccup shook his head. "Another."

Toothless pursed his lips. "' "I believe there are monsters born in the world to human parents.'"

Shook his head. "A different book."

"How about, '"Stories are for eternity, when memory is erased, when there is nothing to remember except the story.' _The Things They Carried_."

Hiccup smiled. "I like that one a lot."

"He found himself the wearisomeness of his life, where every path was an improvisation and a considerable part of one's walking life was spent watching one's feet," he said. " _Lord of the Flies_ by William Golding."

"Very mysterious," Hiccup commented.

"'I promise if you keep searching for everything beautiful in this world, you will eventually become it. By Tyler Kent White."

Hiccup smiled softly and kissed him again.

…

…

 **Some follow up stuff. It will be a few chapters before things pick up, but I promise you some shits going to go down. Anyway, thanks for reading!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Warnings: Mentioned attempted molestation/rape (not Hiccup, guys. We're not there yet)**

…

Astrid wasn't stupid. She was far from it. She had eyes wide open that watched everything.

And one thing was obvious.

Toothless and Hiccup totally dug each other.

"Have you seen Toothless and Hiccup?" Ruffnut asked as they walked past students. "I heard Toothless protected him in a fight with _Collin_."

She nodded. She'd heard about that. "I expected it."

Ruffnut looked at her, confused. "Really? How?"

"You were at the restaurant the day they came back from the fair," she said. "It's obvious."

Ruffnut raised a brow, looking eager. "What's obvious?"

"You really are oblivious, aren't you?" Astrid sighed. She flicked her bangs away from her face as they entered a classroom, lowering her voice. "Toothless is gay."

Ruffnut burst out laughing. Then stopped after a few moments. "Oh my God, you're serious."

She rolled her eyes. "Have you seen the way he looks at Hiccup? For God's sake, have you seen how _Hiccup_ looks at him?"

"No. No, not really."

Astrid slid into her seat, giving an even look to anyone who greeted her with a smile. She turned back to Ruffnut. "They're dating."

Ruffnut scoffed. "Toothless isn't gay. How would you know? Just because you have eyes on the back of your head doesn't mean – "

"Wait." They both watched as Hiccup walked in with his sluggish shoulders and cautious looks. He sat in a seat in the middle left where no one was there to bother him. Then Toothless walked in, gorgeous hair and body, and sat in the back – where he always sat. Then they looked at each other. Astrid could see how Hiccup's lips twitched just a bit higher and that stony look on Toothless' face crack just a bit with bright eyes.

"Wow," Ruffnut sighed. "I'd totally eat Toothless up."

"That's not the point," Astrid whispered. "Didn't you see how they looked at each other? At _all_?"

Ruffnut shook her head, messing with her already messy, long blonde hair, looking bored. "Nope."

"I don't know why I tried," Astrid muttered. It was one thing to notice the unnoticed, but it was another to get someone so blind to see it as well.

Then Collin waltzed in with some blonde-haired blue-eyed girl practically hanging off him giggling. She had curves in all the right places and wore the skimpiest outfit. Just for Collin. Astrid didn't know her name, but the whole image just made her want to throw up. Collin was so disgusting using girls like that.

She hated Collin ever since he'd tried to harass her months ago. Then tried to _touch_ her. He obviously wasn't ready for the black eye and kick in the groin. Her nose squinted up as she remembered the scenario. She watched him from the corner of her eye. The girl gave him a sloppy kiss on the cheek, laughing while swiping away left over lip gloss. Then she plopped down in her seat with a love-sick puppy-eyed look. Collin smiled at her in that oh-so-fake charming way and slid into his own seat behind her. Then he looked across the room. Over to Hiccup. And Astrid was afraid of what Collin was thinking. Because she'd seen that look before.

…

"Hiccup, I need to talk to you," Astrid said in the kitchen. It was late and their shifts were over but all the teens didn't want to go home so they stuck around helping clean up as they almost did every night. Hiccup looked up at her from where he was sketching out something in his sketchpad while sitting on a counter.

"Um, what about?" Hiccup asked slowly, warily. Every eye was on them. It was a bit rare for them to have a conversation.

"Don't look like I'm about to bite your face off, I'm not that intimidating." She crossed her arms.

"Uh, yeah, you are," everyone said in chorus. And she knew it, too. It was worth a try.

"Shoot," Hiccup said, leaning back.

Astrid had never seen Hiccup look so laid back and comfortable. Toothless. "In private."

"Ooooooooooooooh!" Tuffnut called out jokingly. Snotlout slapped him upside the head. "Ow."

Hiccup got that usual cautious (almost scared) look in his eye. "…Why…?"

Astrid sighed, irritated. "Because."

"Because…why…?" Hiccup paused. "Do I even want to know?"

"If you're trying to make a joke, lay it on him," Snotlout said. Astrid saw the sad look Fishlegs had as he scrubbed at a plate.

"I'm not trying to make a joke," Astrid snapped, crossing her arms. "I just need to talk to him."

"I'm right here," Hiccup said. She knew he didn't want to be alone with someone who was so much stronger than himself. She could see it. "You can say it in front of everyone."

"It's about Collin," she said. She paused. How was she supposed to put this? It was strange saying it aloud. "He's…going to try to do something to you."

Hiccup didn't look all that concerned. "I know. I've kind of expected it. I mean, it's been almost a month since he'd beat me up. The next one is due."

"No," she said. Held back a sigh. "I mean it in a…different way."

Hiccup knew. His eyes got bigger and his jaw got slack. He was quick to assume things, she observed. And this assumption was correct. Snotlout put a hand on her shoulder, and, for a moment, she considered pushing it off.

"Astrid…" She looked over to him. He looked uncomfortable. "You…can't say stuff like that around him."

 _Please_ , he silently said. She almost narrowed her eyes. Hiccup was messed up obviously, but in this way, too? She didn't know that. But _why_? She bit her tongue. She shouldn't even care.

"I'm just warning you," she said. She looked away. Hiccup looked terrified. "You're friends with Toothless, right?" Astrid knew Ruffnut would have snorted if the air wasn't so tense with question. "I don't know. Have him ask Collin or something, but I know what he's thinking. He's going to – "

The door rang through the sudden silence as Hiccup left. She didn't look up. She could feel everyone's eyes on her. Feel Snotlout's anger before he said anything.

"Damn it, Astrid," he hissed. "You…You can't say that. You can't fuck with him about that stuff, he's been…Just stop making stupid jokes."

"That wasn't a joke," she said, meeting his eyes with a stare. He went pale. "You need to watch him."

And that's all she said.

…

"Hiccup, wait up!"

Hiccup's heart sped up as his feet did the same. A hand touched his shoulder. He whirled around. "Leave me alone, Fishlegs."

Fishlegs looked worried. Why did he look worried? "I just wanted to say…" He looked away a moment. "Actually, I don't' know what I wanted to say."

"Good." Hiccup turned. "Now leave me alone."

"Wait!" Hiccup sighed and stopped, not wanting to be rude. "I…I don't know what Astrid was talking about yesterday, but I just wanted to say sorry. I guess. What I mean is…I just hope you're okay. What she said really upset you."

"It was nothing," he said. Turned. Fled. "Nothing."

…

"Astrid said Collin's going to do something to me."

"I won't let him touch you," Toothless said. Hiccup lied back on his bed.

"I'm not talking about him beating me up…in a sense." Hiccup bit his lip. Looked away. "She was talking about the…you know… the other way. The…opposite."

Toothless looked confused. "You mean give you gifts while he patches your wounds up?"

"No. I think she meant in a more…touchy-feely…way."

Toothless rocketed up to his elbows. " _What_?"

Hiccup set a hand on his arm. "I don't know why she was telling me this. But you've seen Astrid. She just…knows. And this time…I think she's saying this from personal experience."

Toothless looked furious. "Three months ago."

Hiccup's brow furrowed. "What?"

Toothless' face softened and he dropped to his back on the mattress. "Three months ago…he came to school one day saying he got some with Astrid. But…the other members that were with him…they said he didn't. But he tried." He stopped. "Harshly."

Hiccup couldn't stop his stomach from churning. "You mean…?"

"Yeah." Toothless leaned up against him, trailing a finger down his arm. "But he won't do that to you. He's not even gay or…"

He snorted. "Into me?"

"You know I mean that in the best way," he said. Then got a strange look. "At least…I don't _think_ he'd do that."

"W…What if he does?" Hiccup felt panic build up in his chest. "He'll – He'll – "

"Do absolutely nothing," Toothless assured, pushing down his own panic as well. "There isn't any way he could. You come to the football field every day after school ends. He doesn't know that."

Hiccup took a breath. "I guess not…"

"Promise me you'll go straight to the field after school," Toothless said. "Or text me if you're going to your car. Or even mine."

"I promise," he said. Sighed. "I'm always complaining to you." He chuckled lightly. "Tell me: is there anything you want to complain about?"

"I'm missing the sixth Harry Potter book. Don't know where it went."

"That sure is a tragedy. Did you leave it out in the snow?"

Toothless smiled. "I don't think so. I think it would be ruined. That's a real tragedy." He pressed his lips lightly to Hiccup's cheek, lingering. "Only three days until winter break."

"I know." Hiccup grinned. "And what would you like for Christmas?"

"The sixth book of Harry Potter."

"I'll get onto that," Hiccup giggled.

"What about you?" Toothless asked. "And don't try to dodge the question."

Hiccup pursed his lips. "I want my two front teeth."

"Very funny. Try again."

"I don't know," Hiccup sighed. Looked up at him. "I'm happy."

"Try again."

"How about…some chocolate?"

Toothless laughed. "I can do that. Expect a bit more, though." He looked away, the smile falling from his face. "I've been meaning to ask you…um, I know your father isn't home a lot…"

Hiccup rolled his eyes. "You're not going to hurt my feelings, Toothless."

"Oh. Okay." Toothless ran his hands through his hair. "My aunt…she's pregnant – with her third child."

Hiccup whistled.

"Yeah, I know. It's a lot," he said amusedly. "Usually she comes to my house since we're the only family that's left, but since she's pregnant, I'm going to her house. I was wondering if you wanted to, you know, come with – if your dad isn't home, of course," he added quickly.

Hiccup's heart beat faster. "You're asking me to come to your family's house for Christmas?"

"Well, yeah."

A smile spread across his face. "I'll ask my dad."

Toothless let out a relieved cry, showing his face with kisses. "Did you think I was going to say no?" Hiccup laughed.

"Well…I don't know…"

Hiccup leaned over and kissed him again. "I like the fourth book the best."

…

…

 **Yay! Finally got some Astrid in there. And some Fishlegs, too. Vaguely.**

 **Stoick will be in the next chapter. I don't know how much yet. Don't get your hopes up.**

 **Thanks you so much! Reviews are appreciated.**


	18. Chapter 18

"Aye, Toothless! What was that stunt with the little freak the other day?"

Toothless looked up, pausing on putting on his shirt. Every guy in the locker room seemed to lean forward in question. "What do you mean?"

Collin smirked. "You _did_ try to fight me. For the hiccup no less. What was that for? Are you becoming soft?"

"Yeah, I've seen you talk to him in the hallways before!" a jock called out.

Toothless caught Snotlout looking away as if trying to ignore the conversation. "He doesn't deserve what you say to him, Collin. He's a really cool guy and my friend. Lay off him."

Collin's lips quirked up even higher. "You're _friends_ with the faggot?"

One of the jocks, John, laughed. "Probably thinks he can get some. Hiccup _does_ look like a girl."

"That's probably why he's gay," another snarked. "He can't get any girls."

Toothless felt anger curl in his stomach. He slipped his shirt on. "You say that because you think you're superior."

"That's because we _are_ ," Collin said. "Even his loaded dad doesn't care about him. Don't pretend you do."

"That's where you're wrong, Collin," Toothless said lowly. "I do care about him. He's better than you'll ever be."

Some of the guys whistled and some of the guys laughed. Collin didn't look all that bothered. "I've known you for years, Toothless, and I still don't get you."

"Yeah. That's a good thing." He shut his locker. "If I find you even threatening him again, I won't hesitate to fight. That's a promise."

"Oh, _really_?" Collin's sadistic grin grew even more. "And what would I threaten him with? Beating him up? Bending him over and – "

A locker slammed so hard the hinges popped off. Snotlout turned, furious. "Shut up, Collin."

"Oh, are you _now_ protecting your little cousin?" Collin mocked. "All of a sudden you're so mad about me even _talking_ to him."

"You don't talk to him," Snotlout snapped. "Don't touch him or I'll kill you. And I know Toothless will, too."

 _He has a point_ , Toothless thought. He saw Collin's demeanor change and for once he looked really startled. "You should know your place, Snotlout – "

Toothless grabbed his duffel bag. "Don't fucking touch him," he said. "I'll make your life a living hell."

…

"Today, you're going to learn to throw a punch."

"You don't sound too enthusiastic."

Toothless sighed as he opened the door to his backyard. "Sorry. I just had a slow school day."

"Sounds like more than a slow school day," Hiccup pointed out, slipping off his jacket and putting on his gloves. "Come on, if somethings bothering you, I'm the person to tell."

 _Don't (scare) worry him._ "It's nothing, Hiccup."

"Okay…" Hiccup drew out in a high-pitched i-know-you're-lying tone. He kicked some of the snow lying on the ground. "At least it's not too cold today."

Toothless chuckled. "I know." He slipped off his own jacket. "Okay. First of all, do you know how to throw a punch?"

"No. Not really."

Toothless smiled. "To do anything you have to get into the basic position. I showed you the first day."

"Oh, yeah!" Hiccup bent his knees a bit, one hand a little bit further than the other. "Got it."

Toothless tweaked his foot to the side. "There." He held up his gloved hands. "Now hit me."

Hiccup bit his lip. "Just…hit you?"

"Yeah."

"Aren't you supposed to teach me?"

"Well, yeah. Now go."

Hiccup thrust his hand forward, hitting the left side of his hand. He realized his eyes were closed. "Aw, man."

Toothless grinned. "You can hit way harder than that."

Hiccup hit again, harder. "Like that."

"Better. Try again. Hit my palm."

Hiccup hit again.

"Okay." Toothless took his head and rolled it into a fist, but with his thumb curled around the top of his other fingers. "Like this."

"Oh. That actually makes sense."

Hiccup hit again. And again. And again. Then Toothless jumped to the side so fast, Hiccup fell forward, scrambling with his feet to keep standing. "Whoa!"

"Now, what would you do if someone dodged your hit?"

Hiccup pouted. "I don't know."

"The best way for a beginner is to jump the opposite way before they gain an advantage." Toothless threw a weak punch towards him and Hiccup jumped to the side, and Toothless went the other way. "See?"

"What if I trip over something?"

"Try not to," Toothless chuckled. "If you fell to the ground, you get back up as fast as you can. If they're fast, you just keep dodging."

"So I have to be fast enough?"

"Well, yeah."

"I'm not very fast."

"Yeah, you are. You just don't realize it." Toothless couldn't help but laugh. "There are other ways to get the upper hand, but it takes time."

"So…" Hiccup pursed his lips. "I just wing it."

"In a sense."

"That doesn't sound too smart."

Toothless smiled. "That's how fighting works."

"Oh, yeah. I forgot it doesn't take too much brain."

"That's not true," Toothless pointed out. "You have to memorize a lot of stuff. Guys who fight before thinking just put all their strength into their hits. They're most likely to go down because they lean more towards the offensive side."

"Now that makes sense," Hiccup said. He punched towards Toothless. "Hey! I hit the right place!"

…

"Can Toothless get a job here?"

Gobber looked over at him. "Wha'?"

"Can Toothless get a – "

"No, lad, I heard what you said." Gobber grunted as a waiter passed. "I don't even know tha guy. Why would I just give him a job on the spot?"

Hiccup laughed sheepishly. "Well, he doesn't know I'm asking you. He's never really had a job before, but I promise you – "

"Never had a job?" Gobber exclaimed. "That's just another reason to not hire 'im!"

"No, listen!" Hiccup said. "Compared to the other teens, he would barely even need training. Come on, please? I know you like him."

"I've met the lad once, and – "

"And you were impressed. Gobber, he wants a job. Please? Pretty please?"

"Well…" Gobber sighed. "He _did_ have a good handshake. That's a good sign."

"Is that a yes?" Hiccup asked eagerly.

Gobber scratched his scraggly beard. "I guess…"

"Thank you!" Hiccup cried, giving the large man a hug. "I knew if he came here and saw how hesitant you were, he'd think he was just being a burden. Thanks so much!"

"Yeah, yeah," Gobber grumbled. "When does he start?"

Hiccup pulled on a strained smile. "When I convince him." He pursed his lips. "Don't tell him I talked to you. He's a bit shy at first."

"Fine…"

…

Hiccup pocket vibrated. He pulled out his phone, scanning his eyes over the text, mumbling the words Snotlout had texted him. "Hiccup, where are you?" He looked up, confused. "What? When the fuck has he cared?" His brow furrowed. "He's never even sent me a text asking where I was."

He texted back he was at home. Then he peaked into the kitchen where his father was looking between documents and scribbling on a notepad. "Hey, dad…"

"I'm busy, Hiccup. Go to bed."

Hiccup cringed. "I know you're really busy right now, but…" He swallowed. "I had a question. About Christmas."

Stoick still didn't look up. "Spit it out already."

"Well, my friend wants me to visit his aunt. She's pregnant so she couldn't come down to his house." Hiccup shuffled his foot. "Can I go?"

This time he did look up. "Friend? When has this happened?"

Hiccup pushed away the embarrassment from his father's words. "A-About three months ago. He's a football player and – "

Stoick raised a brow. "A _football_ player?"

"Uh. Yeah."

He looked back down at his notepad. "Sure. When is it?"

Hiccup wrung his hands together. "He usually goes for three or four days, but since break is a bit shorter than usual, we're going to go two days before Christmas and staying a few nights."

"And on Christmas?"

"Y-Yeah…Is that okay?"

"Sure. Just go to bed so I can work."

Hiccup couldn't help the smile that spread over his face.

…

…

 **Another chapter done! I honestly didn't expect I would have been able to finish so many chapters so fast.**

 **Thank you all who are commenting. It means so much to me. It really keeps me going.**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	19. Chapter 19

**Warnings: sexual molestation, more vulgar language than usual (not much)**

 **Read at your own risk.**

…

…

"I can go."

Toothless looked up from his book. "Huh?"

"I can go over Christmas," Hiccup said.

The largest smile came across Toothless' face. "Seriously? Your dad said yes?"

Hiccup's lips quirked. "I think he was completely fine with it, especially when he heard you were a football player."

He leaned over and kissed him. When he leaned back, Hiccup said, "And you got a job."

Toothless almost choked. "What?"

"You've got a job," he repeated. "As simple as that. You can start whenever you like. Monday would be preferable."

"You…You got _me_ a job?" Toothless asked incredulously. Hiccup couldn't help but notice how much in that moment he'd sounded like him.

"Yep." Hiccup licked his lips. "Honestly, it wasn't that hard. Gobber likes you enough and I told him that you weren't clumsy. Which you aren't."

Toothless sat up in his bed. "He just gave me the job?" he breathed. "Without an interview?"

"He trusts me," Hiccup said, shrugging his shoulders. "Between us, I have best judgment."

"I didn't think you'd really ask."

"Oh, have some faith in me, dimwit."

Toothless gave him another kiss. Shivers shot up Hiccup's spine. "You're the best."

"I know I am," Hiccup grinned widely. "Twenty bucks an hour. Pretty good in my opinion, and I don't even need to be paid." He sat closer to Toothless. "You'll be great at it." He smirked. "Don't prove me wrong."

"You're the one who is saying I should have faith in," Toothless huffed. "I think it's vice versa. I used to be the waiter type when I was little when I wasn't reading or writing."

Hiccup raised a brow. "And what's the 'waiter type'?"

"I hated to cook," Toothless chuckled. "But I loved to serve the food."

"That's new," Hiccup said with a soft smile. He brushed his fingers through Toothless' dark hair. "I would have never expected that."

"Just like me and writing."

"Just like me and my career hopes."

"Touché."

…

"Mr. Haddock, you do realize class requires your full attention?"

Hiccup nearly jumped out of his chair as Ms. Fortis' voice brought him back from his daydreaming. "W-What?"

Collin's play toy giggled from across the room, leaning over her desk, and whispering something to Collin, who laughed louder, letting Hiccup know he was being mocked. Shuffling his feet underneath his desk, he pushed down the embarrassed blush on his face. "S-Sorry, Ms. Fortis."

"I will not waste your time, Mr. Haddock," she scolded harshly. "I'm on my last nerve. Pay attention or you won't be able to pass my class."

Hiccup wasn't sure if she was just mad, or just wanted to say something to get his attention, because he had straight A's in all of his classes, including his one. He excelled in English even, way more than others.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly. "It won't happen again." _Again._

"You've said this many times," she scoffed. Waved the book the entire junior class was reading in his face. "Do you know what this is about so far? If you're so smart and want to waste all my time to tell you "pish posh" then why don't you inform me what the latest chapter we'd read yesterday was about?"

He shifted. He'd already finished the book. Including Toothless. _With_ Toothless, actually. "Um, Maggie had refused her duty. And her father didn't take no for an answer and sent her off to an academy."

He ignored how Ms. Fortis' eye twitched. "Well then," she said. "Let's _continue._ "

He heard chuckling in the background, and he smiled. Toothless. He glanced over his shoulder, but stopped when he caught Collin's glare. He raised a hand and flicked him off. Hiccup looked away, hoping Toothless hadn't seen it.

He raised his hand without thinking, feeling his skin crawl. "Ms. Fortis?" he asked quietly.

"Yes?" she sighed, her glasses nearly falling off the edge of her nose.

"Can I go to the bathroom?"

She sighed again, heavily. "Hurry up. Or not. Since you apparently already know what we're talking about."

He hurried out, closing the door behind him, letting out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. What was _wrong_ with him? Goosebumps swam up his arms and his stomach curled around. He had a bad feeling. But he was just being ridiculous. Everything was getting to him.

He thought of Toothless and scurried down the hall to his locker. No one was in the hallway, so the silence seemed to echo in his ears. His chest squeezed and he breathed in, feeling like ice cubes were being shoved down his throat. "W-What the hell?"

- **Trigger warning; please do not go past for your own safety, _please_** -

Footsteps. His eyes started rolling. Footsteps. Behind him. And then quiet. And then he was grabbed by the shoulder and whirled around so fast everything became colors, and someone caught his collar. Then they were pushing him. Stumbling on his feet, he tried to loll his head back to look, but then he was pressed to something. A hand closed around his mouth.

"Say something and I'll knock you out," Collin's voice hissed. His head exploded into panic. There were no other voices. They were alone.

Collin fisted his hair and dragged him down the remaining of the hallway, passing dull, dented lockers. He started kicking for all it was worth, but he knew it was hopeless. He yelled through the hand and flailed his arms.

And suddenly they were outside. Cold air filled his lungs. Frost nipped at his cheeks. He couldn't even step down in the snow Collin hefted him so high. He tried to remember something, anything, that Toothless had taught him, but his mind was whirling with panic and memories and – oh the memories.

The back of the building. That's where they were. He saw a glimpse of the track and the familiar oak trees that sat far. On the other side was the football field where he'd first talked to Toothless. Toothless. Toothless. Remember.

Hands scrabbling at the ones covering his mouth, his mind flew into overdrive. He kicked back, trying to reach Collin's knees, just like Toothless had taught him.

" _What if someone grabbed you from behind?"_

" _I'm not sure."_

" _Kick. Move. Anything. Bash your head_ back _."_

Hiccup swung his head back, but only met chest. _Shit._ Wide eyed, he shoved his elbows back. Nothing. Something told him Collin had gotten into many fights. And something scarier told him Collin had gotten into many fights like _this_.

Bricks. His head knocked onto bricks and he hissed. The hand didn't leave his mouth, but the clutching his collar did. _Hands._ He blinked for a moment. _Hands. Hands. Hands. Everywhere. His legs. Knife. "Grab him."_

Toothless. He couldn't think in the past. He had to think of Toothless. The now. He shook his head. Right as he jabbed his arm back, he was circled around, and everything turned blurry for a moment before Collin's face was in front of his. _No._ He brought his head forward, but he leaned away with a wicked smile on his face. Smashed his head into the bricks again. Eyes fluttering, Hiccup's head bobbed as he groaned, trying to keep his vision straight.

"Not so tough, are you?" Collin hissed. His arms were grabbed, each wrist together, as they lifted up above his head. Pain in his head. And then a leg shoved between his.

He screamed for all he was worth into Collin's hand. But he wouldn't let go. Even though he couldn't see straight, he kept going, kept fighting. The hand on his mouth moved. And Collin's lips were on his.

He wanted to cry. He wanted to throw up. He wanted to run. Everything about it was horrifying. The only thing that kept flashing through his head between everything was: this is not Toothless. It wasn't Toothless. Nothing about it. It wasn't passionate or sweet. It was hard and cold. It was filled with lust for power.

He tried to pull away, moving his head side to side and pulling back, but Collin only pushed hard, pinning his head to the bricks. He ordered his legs to move, to kick his knees, anything, but fear pushed itself into his pores and swirled all around his mind and caught him by chains. Collin brought him flush to his body, Hiccup's legs weakly moving on their own as they tried to release him. And then his hips were pushed up and a hand moved underneath his shirt, brushing against the button of his jeans and then over skin. Hiccup felt tears move down his face. His body moved down and jerked as Collin moved back only to knock his skull into the bricks. Then Collin's hips were bucking up against his and he started sobbing so hard his chest hurt and everything hurt and he just wanted to curl up in a ball and die.

 _Hands ran down his back. Grabbed his hips. Clothes ripped off. Knife. Knife. Knife. All down his skin. Nails. Screaming. Help. Nothing. No one. Alone._

Collin bit against his lips, his red hair brushing against Hiccup's forehead. Hiccup's hands shook as memories kept pouring from the back of his mind through his eyes, morphing any snow into the kitchen background and the sky into the ceiling and the ground to the tile floor and Collin into…them.

"You're too much of a bitch to fight," Collin said against his lips. Hiccup cried harder. "You think Toothless is coming? Fuck no; he doesn't care for a whore like you. Just a mere faggot. Just something for people to use."

 _Whore. Used. Bitch. Toy._ Nothing. _Hands. Hands. Fingers running over his sides and latching onto his neck. Squeezing. Won't stop. Kept going. Air. Pain. Pain. Pain. Help. Pain. Screaming. Pain._

Hiccup forgot how to breathe. His fingers twitched as darkness started swimming over his eyes. His head began to droop.

And then he dropped to the ground.

- **End of trigger warning** -

"GET THE FUCK OFF HIM!"

He barely saw Collin's head whip to the side as a fist crashed into his cheek. He dropped the ground. And suddenly knew how to breathe again. He collapsed in a clump in the snow, not even trying to move as he tried to get rid of the pain in the back of his head. He blinked several times, seeing two blurry figures. And then it slowly became clear.

"Toothless."

Toothless was fighting. Collin was fighting. But he was losing. Blood dribbled down his chin was his nose and cut lip. He was breathing heavily.

"I told you not to touch him," Toothless growled, almost like an animal itself, his fists clenched so hard his knuckles were as white as the piled snow beneath them. "You…You fucking _touched_ him!"

"What?" Collin sneered. "Upset I used your little _fuck toy_? Let me guess: you're a faggot, too?"

"I don't care what you say about me!" Toothless barked, circling around him. "But I do care what you say about Hiccup!"

"What the fuck is wrong with you!?" Collin shouted so loud it rattled through the air. "I've known you for almost four years now and suddenly you like the faggot?!"

"I should be asking you the same thing!" Toothless shouted right back, his face contorted in anger. "All you do is torture people because of your fucking ego and you've _tried_ so many times to pressure girls into what they don't want to do. But I'm going to fucking _lose it_ when you do it to Hiccup."

"Are you in love with the faggot?!" Collin snarled. "What the _fuck_? You're just fucking around with him just for a toy. Well, guess what: I already used it!"

"I don't use anyone!" Toothless yelled. "He's not a toy, he's a person! Yeah, maybe I may be in love with him, but that's not your business! What is your business is to stay away from him!"

Despite everything, a warm feeling tingled in his chest, and just because of that, he was hefting himself up on shaking arms. Collin saw him.

"Oh, look, he's awake," he hissed. "Back for some more, slut?"

And just that caused him to scramble away to the wall, trying to get as far as he could. Toothless. He wanted Toothless. "Toothless."

"That's IT!" Toothless roared and launched himself to Collin, taking him down to the ground. Collin fought. Toothless fought. And Toothless was winning.

"Toothless," Hiccup said weakly, shakily. "Please."

Toothless didn't stop the rain of punches. Hiccup got up, tripping nearly every step as he went over to them. He touched Toothless' arm that pinned Collin down to the ground without hesitation. "Toothless, let him go."

Toothless stopped, looking up to him. "What?"

"Let him go," he whispered. "He's not worth it."

Hiccup thought Toothless was going to ignore him, but he got up instead, leaving Collin to roll away, clutching his probably broken nose. And then Toothless' arms were around him, surprisingly gentle. "Oh my god," Toothless said.

He hugged back despite the soreness in his arms. "I'm sorry."

Toothless pulled away, looking him in the eyes with an angry look. Hiccup wasn't scared. "Don't say you're sorry."

"Okay." He tried to press himself even closer to Toothless. "We have to go to Snotlout's house," he said, looking away from Collin who was still groaning on the ground. "My dad's home with some guys and Snotlout's house is closer than yours."

"Okay. Okay. Okay." Toothless kept mumbling. Hiccup realized he was scared. "Let's go."

…

"What the fuck happened?!"

Toothless pushed passed Snotlout with a passed out Hiccup in his arms. "Hurry up and help me. Now."

Snotlout shut the door behind them and scurried after them as Toothless walked through the house without not knowing where to go but too panicked to care. "Where's the bathroom?"

Snotlout pointed down the hall. "Down there, but what happened – "

"Get the first aid kit."

"Don't you ignore me right now – "

Toothless whirled on him and snarled, "Get it right now! God dammit, I think he has a concussion!"

Snotlout's eyes darted down to his split knuckles that were covered in blood. "Collin," was all he said before he ran to the kitchen.

Toothless went to the bathroom on quick feet. He gently sat Hiccup down on the toilet, shaking his shoulder a bit. "Come on, Hiccup. You have to stay away, okay?"

Hiccup's eyes fluttered open, and Toothless was glad to those big green eyes again. "Okay. Just work with me here, alright?"

"Okay," Hiccup slurred. "Are we…at Snotlout's?"

"Yeah," Toothless said lightly, trying to breath normally as he ran warm water onto a small towel. "He's getting the first aid kit so we can help you out."

Snotlout came into the bathroom and handed Toothless the first aid kit. He looked at Hiccup anxiously. "What happened? What did he do?"

Toothless gave him a pointed look. "Let's not talk about that. Let's talk about something else."

"My head hurts," Hiccup mumbled. He leaned forward onto Toothless. "It hurts."

"I know," Toothless said, pulling out some antiseptic and putting it on the damp towel. "This may hurt a little bit more, okay?"

Hiccup looked at him with pleading eyes. "Not too much."

"Not too much."

"Okay."

Toothless reached over around Hiccup and dabbed the rag softly on the back of his head. Hiccup inhaled sharply. "Ow."

"You can take it," Toothless encouraged. "Hey, Snotlout. Can you check his eyes?"

Snotlout knew what to do. He grabbed the small flashlight and kneeled in front of him, pointing the light in both of his eyes. "He's good. No concussion."

"Thank god," Toothless mumbled. He moved the rag around and Hiccup hissed. "Hold on," he said softly. "I'm almost done."

He wiped some more and brought the rag back, trying not to wince from the small blotches of red. "There we go." He turned to Snotlout. "Will you go get an ice pack?"

Snotlout nodded and left. Toothless turned to Hiccup. "Are you okay? _Really_?"

And that was it. Hiccup's lip quivered and he burst out in tears, sobbing hysterically. Toothless pulled him into a hug, feeling his own hysteria in his chest. "It's okay. I'm not going to let him get away."

Hiccup cried harder. "I was scared."

"I know. Me, too." He pressed his forehead to his. Kissed him softly. Hiccup stopped crying immediately and pushed back with so much need it surprised Toothless.

Hiccup pulled away. "Sorry."

"Stop saying you're sorry."

"Okay."

Snotlout came in again. He gave Hiccup an icepack. "You guys are so lucky my dad isn't home."

Toothless looked at Hiccup and Hiccup shook his head with warning in his eyes. "When is he going to be back home?" he asked.

"Early in the morning probably," Snotlout muttered, turning away. He glared at the floor. "You guys can stay the night if you want."

"Well, Toothless – "

"I'm staying," Toothless said. "Come on. You need to go to sleep. You're going to have a killer headache tomorrow."

Hiccup started to stand up, but everything seemed to turn over. Toothless caught him from falling and pick him up bridal style. Hiccup let out a deep breath. "Wow, my hero."

Toothless let out a chuckle. "I'm not the only one who's tired." He grabbed the first aid kit.

"It's down here." Snotlout walked down a long hallway and into his room. It was pretty cleared out. "I'm not in here much, so if you need to move something, you can."

Toothless nodded and set Hiccup down on the bed and pulled the covers over him. Hiccup was instantly passed out.

"What happened?" Snotlout demanded.

Toothless ran a hand over his face. "It was Collin."

"What the fuck did he do?" Snotlout hissed. "Give me a straight answer."

Toothless shuffled in place. "It…" He sighed. "Collin…he dragged Hiccup out back and…" He bit his lip, feeling the rage boil in his stomach. "I saw him on Hiccup. You know…sexually." Snotlout's eyes widened like saucers. "And Hiccup was fighting. And barely conscious." He pulled out the kit and started wiping the antiseptic over his cut knuckles.

Snotlout looked shocked. His mouth hung open. Then his jaw moved. Then he turned and ran into the hall. Toothless heard a fist go through the plaster of the wall. "FUCK!" More stomping.

Toothless tied the bandages over his knuckles and got into the bed, pressing close to Hiccup. The latter laid his cheeks against his chest, breathing softly. He kissed his forehead. "Goodnight," he whispered.

…

…

 **Holy FUCK! That took me a while.**

 **Okay, there is something I need to explain.**

 **This is** _ **not**_ _ **my**_ **style of writing. This is a different style. There are many styles. Many, many, many styles. If you have read any of my other fics, you know well this is not how I usually write. I started writing this story because I thought of a scene for this AU and I wanted to try this style. Now, you may have realized that at the point where Hiccup gets grabbed my Collin that it gets more in depth and descriptive and more my usual style of writing. The more I get captivated into a scene, the more descriptive I'm going to write. I wasn't supposed to or planning to write out of the style, but I was so into it I didn't even realize.** **Again** **, if you have read** _ **any**_ **of my other fics, you know,** _ **know well**_ **, that my usual writing style** _ **isn't**_ **like this. This is different. Something new. And I wanted to see how good it was correspond with the story.**

 **Just had to explain.**

 **I'm so glad I got this subplot written. It just came to me randomly while I was daydreaming and trying to brainstorm ideas for the story. No, I don't find Collin gay. He's my OC, but he's just a character in here, and in my mind I don't see him gay. Hiccup does look like a girl. And Collin is a power freak, a megalomaniac. He wants to control, and that's why I had Astrid as an example. He's obviously done it before, not just to Astrid and Hiccup. And maybe, just maybe, I see Collin doing it as a way to get on Toothless' nerves. Obviously, Toothless' nerves are very short.**

 **Anyway, thanks so much for reading! So much! You all mean so much to me and keep me going, my determination to write and my motivation to write even more. Your comments are amazing and your support really touches my heart. I can't thank you enough.**

 **Update: I don't know if anyone came back to read this chapter or if you are just reaching it; but I have to apologize. I am so, so sorry from the deepest part of my heart for not putting a trigger warning. I should have in the first place, but it just flew out of my mind. I tend to forget a lot of stuff, especially when I'm writing, and this was a huge mistake. I am so, so, so sorry for not putting it up in the first place; I was being a forgetful idiot and I can apologize enough in writing to get my point through. I just so sorry; I swear I will be putting up any warnings for anything that may trigger and the beginning of any detailed sex scenes. One more time: I'm so sorry. I thank you all for reading and I'm surprised I've gotten this far, but I should have taken this into consideration.**


	20. Chapter 20

**Warnings: References to child abuse**

…

…

The next morning, Hiccup woke up to the sound of shouting. And then the front door slamming shut.

Snotlout came into the room, breathing heavily. Hiccup sat up in bed, frantically blinking the sleep out of his eyes. "Snotlout?"

Snotlout grumbled something. He darted over to his desk and started ruffling through a drawer and snatching out his phone. "Snotlout, you okay?" Hiccup asked.

Sunlight poured through the window, so it was easy to see the large red mark on his face. "Snotlout, come on."

"What do you want?" he snapped, finally looking up from his phone. Hiccup tossed off the covers and grabbed the ice pack from the table. He threw it to Snotlout. "Here."

Snotlout looked away, pressing the pack to his cheek. "Thanks."

"Is he gone?" Hiccup asked. Snotlout nodded.

"Yeah," he said. "He just left."

"Is Toothless downstairs?" Hiccup got to his feet, cracking his back.

"He's eating breakfast."

Hiccup nodded. "Keep the ice pack on."

"Don't baby me."

With a strained smile, Hiccup headed downstairs, sitting next to a sleepy Toothless at the kitchen table. Toothless' bobbing head shot up and he smiled at him. "Good morning."

"Good morning," Hiccup said. His smile evaporated. "Did you see…?"

Toothless shook his head, looking away, almost sad. "No. I heard them though."

"Don't tell anyone, Snotlout will kill you," Hiccup said. "Spitelout will get in a shitload of trouble."

"I know," Toothless said. "I understand why Snotlout had never invited us to his house."

"Yeah," Hiccup sighed. "I'm just lucky my dad ignores me."

Toothless opened his mouth, but Snotlout came into the kitchen grumbling. He grabbed his car keys and started heading out.

"You need to eat something!" Hiccup called.

"Don't baby me!" Snotlout yelled back before the front door shut.

Toothless chuckled. "Stubborn."

"It runs in the family."

Toothless smiled and looked over to him. Yesterday seemed to settle on his shoulders. He remembered coming to check on Hiccup after Collin had asked to go to the bathroom right after Hiccup. He'd known something was wrong. "Happy Winter Break."

Hiccup snorted. "Yep. It's off to a great start."

Toothless' smile fell. "Are you okay. Really? Be honest with me."

Hiccup opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. He got a scared look on his face. "I…think so." He sighed. "I felt so weak. I did everything I could think of but I still wasn't strong enough. And then…I just had a really, really bad flashback."

Toothless put an arm around his shoulders. "I'm sorry."

"Don't say sorry," Hiccup said. "It's not your fault. I'm just worried he triggered something. I…" His voice cracked and he cleared his throat. "I used to have flashbacks from, you know, PTSD. But they stopped after seeing the therapist for about a year. I haven't had them that bad since then."

"Do you have to go back?"

"I…don't know." Hiccup scrubbed his hands over his face. "I'm…I don't know."

"I'm just happy you're okay."

Hiccup looked up at him, biting his lip. "Um. I have a, uh, question."

"Shoot."

"About what Collin said."

Toothless sighed. "Hiccup, what he said about you wasn't true. He was being an ass and just wanted to hurt you."

"It's not that," Hiccup said quietly. "It was what he said about you."

Toothless kissed him. Warmth spread through Hiccup's chest. "I would never, ever do what he said. I don't use anyone, especially not you. I never have."

"It's not that either," Hiccup said, shaking his head a little. "The other thing he said."

Toothless' brows stitched together. "What did he say? I honestly can't remember anything after I got mad."

 _Maybe I do love him, but that's not your business!_ Hiccup pushed down a blush. "Never mind. I just thought he said something."

Toothless looked in his eyes and said hesitantly, "Okay…"

Hiccup kissed him. Long. He moved his mouth with Toothless'. Toothless wrapped his arms around his waist while he cupped his cheek. Hiccup moved up and sat in his lap, kissing harder than he ever had, needing the feeling of Toothless. Just to know he was there. Anything of Collin was pushed away from his mind as he felt Toothless' hands and his lips. He had to pull away for air.

"Maybe we shouldn't do this in Snotlout's kitchen," Toothless said amusedly, looking up into his eyes. Hiccup kissed him again.

"You're right," he said. He smiled. "Happy Winter Break."

…

"I'm going to the school."

Hiccup sat up in Toothless' bed, nearly dropping his sketchbook. "What? Why? It's closed."

"Coach is there. And I have to talk to him about Collin," Toothless said, shrugging on his winter coat. "What he did yesterday isn't something I'm going to let go."

Hiccup started in surprise. "H-He's not going to, like, tell anyone, right?" He bit his lip, hard. "I mean, I don't want anyone to know. My life will be a living hell."

"I'll make him promise," Toothless said. "I know he won't tell anyone except Principal Doug. I want him arrested."

" _What?_ " Hiccup hissed. "Isn't that a bit – "

"He's done it before," Toothless said lowly. "And now he's done it to you. This is the last straw."

Hiccup fell to his back. "Okay."

"Okay?"

"Yes. Yes. I get it. Go."

Toothless gave him one last kiss before he let.

…

Toothless got to the school in a matter of five minutes, getting a complaint or seven from the surrounding cars. He headed to Coach Bernard's office after sneaking in through the back door by the football field that was always unlocked. The blinds were open, so he could see Coach nearly have a heart attack when he knocked on the door. He opened it.

"Toothless," Coach hissed. "What are you doing here? If a janitor catches you sneaking around, you'll get in so much trouble – "

"I don't care about that," Toothless interrupted quickly as he slipped past Coach and into his office. The door shut behind him. "I have something to tell you. It's really, really important."

"Did John and Collin get into the spray paint cans again?" Coach asked with a groan. "I swear – "

"That's not it," Toothless said. "It's just Collin."

"Boy, I don't care if Collin got into spray paint anymore – "

"It's not that either." Toothless huffed a breath. "He, uh, did something really, _really_ bad yesterday. Like, law enforcement bad."

"Oh shit," Coach mumbled, eyes wide. "Good god, what did he do?"

Toothless got a sour look on his face. "He molested someone."

Coach ran a hand over his face. "Jesus, who?"

"Hiccup."

"Hiccup…Haddock?"

"Yes."

"The boy who you've been hanging around with?"

Toothless nodded. "Yeah. I found him knocking Hiccup unconscious yesterday while pinning him to a wall. I have physical proof." He bit his lip. "And, Coach?" Coach nodded for him to continue. "I…think he's done it before. Astrid Hofferson. I know he's tried, but I don't know if he actually succeeded."

"I have to call the police," Coach said frantically. "Thanks so much for coming to me, Toothless. I know none of the other players would have. You're smart."

Toothless smiled faintly. "Thanks," he said. "I just…I have to protect Hiccup."

"You like him, don't you?" Coach insisted. "I've seen you guys."

Coach knew. Toothless pushed back any surprise. "Yeah. Yeah, I do."

"Now, shoo!" Coach waved his hands, pushing him towards the door. "The police are gonna be calling you soon. Have Hiccup ready for questioning. And Astrid if you can. Boy, that girl is such good person. I hope he didn't get to her." He mumbled the last part.

"You seem to know what you're doing," Toothless pointed out.

"A few years back there was a player on the team who raped twelve girls. Trust me," Coach said solemnly, "I know what I'm doing." He opened the door. "Don't worry, I'm going to get him in so much trouble and avenge Astrid and that little boyfriend of yours!"

Before Toothless could even say anything, he was nudged out the door. He watched as Coach typed in 911 on the phone and he ran out to his car before he could be caught by anyone in the building.

…

…

 **Yeah. Yeah. This is a short chapter. I know. But I had to wrap up some things and get everything cleared up.**

 **Note: I am not going to put any warnings I have already put up unless it's necessary like the molestation and, yeah, the maybe probably sex scenes. Other than that, I'm not going to tell you when there's language or boy x boy kissing because if you're this far, you already know what you're in for.**

 **I hope you enjoyed! Reviews are appreciated!**


	21. Chapter 21

**Warnings: references to molestation**

...

…

Hiccup and Toothless went to the restaurant the next day, Monday, with no intentions of staying. Hiccup's heart was beating against his ribcage and he was practically vibrating in anxious nerves. Toothless comforted him as much as he could, but not much was helping as they entered the building. It was buzzing with life, a very busy day for customers and waiters and waitresses were nearly knocking into each other from the amount of people inside. They gave Hiccup grateful looks and confused looks towards Toothless, and realized they'd come here _together_. Hiccup _finally_ got a friend? The waitresses gave him the up and down lewd look, something Toothless usually got in public places. Hiccup knew well his boyfriend was hot. Really hot.

But then they noticed Hiccup's expression and backed off. They headed to the kitchen, not seeing Astrid, only Tuffnut. Snotlout came in behind them, not noticing them at first, but took a double take. "W-What? What the hell? I thought you were staying home!"

"I talked to Coach," Toothless muttered to him so no one else could. "We're going in for questioning so they have enough evidence to arrest Collin."

Snotlout's eyes went wide. "Shiiiiiiiit. He's going to be _really_ pissed, you know that, right?"

He shrugged, moving close to Hiccup. "It's the law."

Snotlout nodded. Then his brows stitched together. "Wait. If you're going in for questioning, then why are you here?"

He bit his lip, and Hiccup glanced back at them, a scared look in his eye. He pointed over to where a slim blonde was scrubbing at dishes. Toothless stayed in place while he went over to tap on her shoulder. Snotlout stood next to him, and Toothless didn't have to look to know what his face looked like. "Astrid…?" Waves of anger poured off him. "Oh _hell_ no. Fuck no!" he growled, his voice growing. He rounded on Toothless, grabbing the collar of his shirt. "Where is he? Where is the bastard?!" he snarled. "I'll rip every tooth he has in that egotistical mouth and bury him alive! Where the FUCK IS HE?!"

Toothless was about to push him off, but Ruffnut suddenly appeared and yanked him back by his shoulder with surprising strength. "Get off him, you idiot!" she sneered. "Do you know how much trouble you can get in?"

All the chefs and waiters were staring at them. Astrid turned on her heel. "What is going on?" she demanded lowly.

"Astrid, wait," Hiccup said. Reaching forward to get her attention, she looked over to him.

" _What_ is Snotlout talking about? _Who_ , more importantly?" Her eyes got wide. "It wasn't Collin, was it…?"

Hiccup bit his lip, and that was all Astrid needed to get a red face full of anger. "Where is he?" she demanded.

Hiccup waved his hands in a last ditch of effort. "Wait! Wait, Astrid! Before you do anything stupid, they're going to take us into questioning. Then they are going to arrest him."

Her face went pale. "Was it that bad?"

Hiccup glanced over to Toothless. "That doesn't matter right now. Toothless got a call from the football Coach and they want us in as soon as we can."

Ruffnut, oblivious to the entire conversation, and apparently full of wanting to know, stood next to Astrid like a bodyguard. "I don't care what you're talking about, but," she said, "I stay with Astrid.

Astrid gave her a pointed look. " _No_ , Ruffnut. This isn't something you need to – "

"Yeah, well, I'm going," she snapped back. "I don't care what you say."

"This isn't up for discussion - !"

"Good," Ruffnut said. "It's settled then." She turned to Toothless. "Obviously this has to do with the police. So let's go before all the employees burn a hole into the back of my head."

They all glanced around. All eyes were on them. "Let's go," Toothless hissed. "I don't want word getting around." He turned to Snotlout. "Stay and tell Gobber. Bye."

Snotlout protested violently, but they were already filing out the swinging doors, tossing their aprons behind.

…

They drove in pure silence. Hiccup wasn't silent on the inside. He was really screaming with nervousness. When they got to the station, he was nearly sweating bricks and his hands were trembling. Because he knew they would definitely be discussing more than Collin's attack.

They signed in quickly, Astrid clearly not wanting to be there and Ruffnut giving her worried looks and squeezing her hand so hard her knuckles turned white. So were Astrid's. She didn't want to show how hard she was clutching to her best friend.

Hiccup clung to Toothless, watching the officers pass by, ignoring them because they weren't on their personal case. They were intimidating while most said they were friendly.

A young officer came up to them with dark hair and a cheery smile. "Hey, guys! I'm here to bring Hiccup Haddock and Astrid Hofferson back to questioning and get the old facts and such."

 _He is definitely new_ , Hiccup thought to himself. Toothless gave him a look that said the same thing. He got up from his seat and gave Toothless a reassuring nod before he could get up and fight to come with him. Astrid got up as well, leaving Ruffnut, and they followed him behind doors.

The officer flipped through his clipboard. "My name's officer Kane by the way," he said, chipper. Hiccup decided he didn't like the guy's attitude. "Let's see…" He flipped to a page. "Ah, Astrid Hofferson. Straight A student, a very athletic player on track and cross country. No criminal record…" He cleared his throat. "And you never…reported the accused sex offender?"

"That's none of your business," Astrid said.

The officer's eyes widened, looking threatened. "Oh. Okay." He went to a new page. "Hiccup Haddock…Jesus." He muttered the last part. He looked pale. Definitely a newbie. "Um, so straight A student, not athletic, no school clubs, no criminal record." He cleared his throat again. "And you were a, uh, severe victim to a gang rape at seven."

Astrid, despite how strong she was, made a choked sound. And then another officer appeared immediately and led her away. Ice buckets coursed through Hiccup's veins, but he did his best to avoid it. Officer Kane walked in back to a small room with a simple table. There were no blinding lights or a dim atmosphere. Not much different from his last time here.

Officer Kane stayed inside, smiling weakly as Hiccup plopped down into the chair, trying to swallow the lump in his throat and the want to have Toothless at his side.

"Okay," Kane said. "Um, if any of these questions make you uncomfortable or anything – "

"I've done this before," Hiccup said tightly. "Just go."

He cleared his throat. Asked him his full name, his father, his deceased mother, what school he went to, yada, yada, yada.

"What was the date Mr. Robert had suspected molested you?"

"December 14th," Hiccup answered. He shivered. And it wasn't because he knew there were people watching him on the other side of the mirror.

"Can you describe to me what had happened?"

Hiccup bit his lip and shifted. "Uh – I had started to go to my locker, but he put a hand on my mouth and dragged me outside. No one was around because class was still going, but Collin had come out to 'go to the bathroom'. He brought me to the back of the school, a-and pinned me – um." He cleared his throat. "Against the wall. He kept smashing my head into the bricks. And he grabbed my hands." He lifted up his arm and his shirt sleeve slipped down to reveal a large bruise in the shape of a hand. "And then he started, you know, touching me."

Kane looked sick. He scribbled something down on his clipboard. He glanced towards the mirror. "Does this molestation have to do with the previous rape you'd experienced?"

Hiccup looked away, his eyes watery. "What do you mean?"

"Was Collin involved in gangs? Or illegal behavior?"

Hiccup looked up. "I wouldn't know. None of his friends knew, either."

"And how do you know that?"

"Oh. Toothless."

"Toothless?" His brow scrunched. "What an odd name. It must be an alias, maybe even a gang identity."

Hiccup felt anger boil in his stomach. "He's not in a gang," he snapped.

Kane looked scared. "Oh. Uh, sorry. I just had to acknowledge it."

"He told me he wasn't in a gang. He doesn't use his real name because it brings back bad memories." Hiccup let out a breath. "I don't know about Collin. Maybe he was in a gang, but not the one that had to do with me. The police said all the members were locked up."

Kane glanced to the mirror, only for less than a second. Hiccup noticed. "Tell me," he demanded.

"W-What?" Kane sputtered.

"There's something you're not telling me," Hiccup hissed. "It's about the gang." He crossed his arms. "They're in prison. _Right_?"

"That is classified," he said tightly.

"That's not classified for _me_!" Hiccup shouted suddenly. "What if they come looking for me again? Or worse – my dad! My _dad_ doesn't even know about it!"

Kane got a wide-eyed look. He stared down at his clipboard. "Shouldn't parents know about sexual assault that happens to their children?"

"Life's cruel," Hiccup snapped, sitting back down in his chair. "You don't always get to open your mouth to speak. Which is why I yelled at you. Sorry."

"Um, this Toothless character," Kane said slowly, as if contemplating. "What relations do you have with him?"

"We're close friends," Hiccup said. A picture of Toothless leaning forward to kiss him flashed into his head and it comforted him.

"Oh. Yes." Kane didn't look convinced. "He is the dark-haired man next to you when I came to bring you back here?"

Hiccup nodded. "Yes. But that does that have to do with anything?"

Kane's cheeks flushed a bit. "Well, you're a very good-looking man."

 _Good-looking?_ "And?"

"Oh. Um." He glanced towards the mirror. Winced. "I, uh, it's just, I'm just wondering – it's not my place or anything – but, is there, you know, deeper relations between you? More than just close friends?"

Hiccup's face turned red. "W-What? You're right – it _isn't_ your place to ask that." He shifted. "Just…" He sighed. "We…um, maybe. Yes. No. Yes."

"So yes."

"Uh, yes."

"So you're a homosexual individual? As well as this man – Toothless?"

"Yeah."

"Oh. I was just wondering…"

"Look, if you're gay and you want to flirt with him or something, we're together, so I rather you not," Hiccup said.

Kane shook his head and muttered, "That's not what I was shooting for." He sighed, and looked back to the mirror. "The officers just left and I just…wanted to know, I guess."

"Well, you know." Hiccup gave him a pointed look. "So, did the gang break out of prison?"

Kane glanced around. "No. But there is word there may be another gang looking for the same thing. It's been suspected a few members go to Berk High. So that boyfriend of yours better watch out for you."

"Are you not looking for them?"

"Oh, yes, we have five undercover officers," Kane said. "It would only be a matter of time before we find them. We just have to see if Collin Robert is one."

"Why are you telling me this 'classified information'?" Hiccup asked suspiciously.

"Judging from the things that have been done to you, you have the right to know." He flipped his clipboard back. "The officers will be back in a minute. Just make sure you watch out for yourself and this Toothless guy."

Hiccup raised an eyebrow. "You're _really_ new here, aren't you?"

Kane shrugged. "Not a month over nineteen years old, and I think I'm doing pretty good." He ripped a piece of blank paper and slid it over to Hiccup after scribbling something on it. "And if you need _anything_ , call me."

…

Astrid wasn't a fan of police stations. Mostly because she's never been in one. Everyone was so unfamiliar and it set her on edge. But she held her head high; chin tipped up, and walked with her confident posture that only she could pull off.

They led her into a room and asked her normal questions, name, age, family members, and school. And then they got to what they really wanted.

"It has been reported that you have been a possible victim to Collin Robert," Officer Berry, a middle-aged man with graying hair, said. "Can you tell me the answer?"

She nodded her head sharply. "I was a victim. But not entirely."

"Would you explain what you mean?" The officer chewed on his pen. "Tell me what happened."

"I was at a party," Astrid said. "No, I didn't drink or do drugs. I'm competitive in sports and I don't want to lose that or the scholarship I'm working for." She took an unseen breath. "Collin was there, and he was drinking. I don't know how much. I'm not one for parties, so I went outside to get some air.

"I guess he followed me because I was back in the woods leaning against a tree. No one was out there with us. He kept talking to me, flirting with me, and then he asked me if I was looking for someone to hook up with because he was in the mood. I told him no, I was not. But he didn't take no. He got really mad. Really, really mad. He touched my breasts and from the way he was pushing so hard on my shoulders towards the tree told me he was probably going to try to knock me out. I'm stronger than I look, and he sure didn't expect me to kick him in the balls and run away."

Her fingers twitched in agitation. "Can you tell me what happened to Hiccup?"

"That's classified," Berry said. "He is being questioned anyway, so I don't have Intel yet. Can you tell me what your relation is towards Hiccup?"

"He's a friend, I guess," Astrid said. "Like an acquaintance."

"You don't sound so convinced."

"Okay, yes, he's a friend," she admitted. "I don't know if he sees me as a friend."

"You mean he sees you as a love interest?"

Astrid almost laughed. "No, sir. I'm not into guys like him and he sure isn't into _girls_ like me."

"I see," Berry said, scribbling something down. "And is Collin Robert homosexual?"

She shook her head. "Not that I know of. I know he's slept with a lot of girls, but he's never gone after a guy before. But…" She tried to hide her embarrassment. "Hiccup looks more – well, you've seen him. He looks like a girl."

"You're very straight forward," Berry said. "Was that your friend waiting with you?"

She nodded. "Yes."

"And who was the man with Hiccup?"

"Oh, that's just his really good friend of his. He's the one who saved Hiccup, of course."

Berry's eyes widened. "Wow. I didn't expect that. He's a very good friend, then."

Astrid hid a smile. "A _very_ good one."

Berry looked at his clipboard. "Did you ever have any sexual relations with Mr. Robert?"

"Other than his grimy little hands all over my chest, no. None."

"No nude pictures, no lewd texting, anything?"

Astrid shook her head. "None. I find that stuff disgusting."

"I'm only asking because we have regulations to search his phone," Berry said. "We just want to make sure you're not lying when we look."

"Makes sense. Can I go now?"

"Not just yet," he said. "One more question."

"Shoot. Before I shoot myself in boredom."

"Do you have any idea why Collin would be interested in Hiccup Haddock?"

Astrid bit her lip. "Honestly, I don't know. The guy was a complete megalomaniac. He would do anything to overpower. Toothless was one of his friends, though he never liked him in the first place, and he stood up for Hiccup. I think that got on his nerves and he…" Disgust rolled over her. "He wanted to show Hiccup whose boss and who's…the bitch, I guess."

Berry nodded. "Alright. That's all. I'll lead you out."

…

It was near twelve when they were all dropped off at their homes. Well, Hiccup went with Toothless to his house, not wanting to explain to his father where he was. He may ignore him, but when he was working at home and never had a son come home, he still wondered. No one had spoken, not even Ruffnut.

Hiccup rolled into bed with Toothless, hair damp from a shower, and dressed in large sweat pants and a long sleeved shirt that happened to be Toothless'. Toothless breathed in everything about him, his shampoo, his smell, always a mixture between pine and a sliver of paint. He finally spoke: "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Hiccup whispered, snuggling into him. Their bodies fit smoothly together as Toothless slipped an arm over his middle to play with his fingers. "I've done questioning before, it was just different. Of course, they asked me about the gang and stuff. They said…" He swallowed as tears came to his eyes. "They said there is a new gang that may be into that stuff, and Collin may be in it. They said there are a suspected few that go to Berk."

Toothless' lips brushed his cheek. He couldn't help but wonder _who_ would be in such a thing. "I won't let anyone touch you." A lump formed in his throat and he pushed it down. "I let you down once, it was my fault, but I won't do it again. I promise."

Hiccup turned around to face Toothless. He looked at him sternly. "It wasn't your fault. Don't even dare think of such a thing."

Toothless stared into his doe eyes. "I'll try not to."

Hiccup kissed him. "What did they tell you?" he asked, thinking back to when they were done and they pulled Toothless to the side.

A blush crept across his cheeks. "They thanked me a lot for saving you. A lot. They told me if I ever suspect anyone of something to come directly to them." He ran his fingers through Hiccup's hair lovingly. "That officer Kane guy was looking you a lot more than I would like him to."

Hiccup smiled softly. "So protective," he said. "I think he was flirting with me."

"What?!"

Hiccup batted his arm to lay him back down. "He wouldn't say your name directly for one, just like you said his. He said I was good-looking, too." He gave Toothless a pointed look when he almost cut him off. "He kept asking about you, so I thought he was interested in you, so I told him you're off-limits. But then he gave me his number and told me to call him for anything."

Toothless got a sour look on his face. "I don't like him."

Hiccup kissed him on the cheek. "Don't worry. I'm not going to go prancing around with some officer guy. Not when you're right here." Hiccup snuggled closer to him, comforting him with his body heat and tingly kisses. "Maybe he was just being nice."

"Nice my ass," Toothless mumbled, hugging him even closer. "He has a job to do. How old is he anyway? Twenty-something?"

"Nineteen."

"He told you his age?!"

Hiccup frowned. "Is that bad?"

"Well, yeah!" Toothless said, frustrated. "It's just – I don't – I mean – "

"Toothless," Hiccup said firmly. "I. am. Not. Interested. In him." He gave him a grand kiss that left both their stomachs fluttering like rapid butterflies. "You are all I care about, okay?"

Oh no. Tears flooded in Toothless eyes. Did Hiccup break him or something? Flipped a switch? "Oh my god," he said. His voice was like gravel. "No one has ever said that to me."

Hiccup only kissed him with all he had; knowing words couldn't describe how much he felt.

…

…

 **Wow.**

 **This came out of nowhere. Very unexpected. I got some business, some police, and some fluff in there. Fluff that made me smile like a hopeless romantic.**

 **Anyways, I hope you liked it, folks! Reviews are appreciated!**


	22. Chapter 22

**Okay, I've seen other writers do this, and quite frankly, it's an amazing idea. From those who have left questions for me whether it's private messaging or in the comments, I am going to answer as many questions as I can. Of course, there are some I can't answer because there would be a spoiler or I would give a hint away. So here we go:**

 **DJS: I do not know if I will have a scene or chapter of Hiccup giving his story of being a victim to gang rape. They may find out, but I don't think Hiccup would want to explain it for obvious PTSD reasons. But you never know, I tend to write in the way my hands flow into the words, so it may just come out and go with the story.**

 **DJS: I had a mishap with the upload of another chapter. I had accidentally uploaded the wrong chapter and my computer completely** _ **crashed**_ **on me when I deleted it, so I waited longer just to make sure my computer wouldn't break or cut me off at an important part.**

 **some guy: I know this isn't a question, but this aggravated me so much because I was always singled out in school because I was the only girl who knew all the rules and regulations and how to play football.**

 **SonoffLuffy: I know this isn't a question either, but I think you're completely right. I need to change the rating.**

 **waveringshadow: Thank you. I've never really considered Snotlout as a really mean kind of bully person. You know what I mean. He can be mean and all, but I've always recognized there** _ **has**_ **to be a reason he's that way. And in my opinion, he'd never been that way.**

 **ladipretender: Don't worry, you're not the only one who wants to see it. I know many of you think that this is just portraying Hiccup as a weak, helpless character, but, guys, we're only twenty-two chapters in. I have so many plans for this in my head, but I haven't worked them out, and I need time to build it up to that point. Thanks so much for the comment** **. Trust me, Hiccup is not going to be some damsel in distress.**

 **And for my favorite: Guest (not all of you; many of you have been absolute dolls ;) this isn't for you): Thanks for the awful, downside comments. I hope you know it only fuels me to write more. Have a good day.**

…

…

"You all packed?"

Hiccup nodded, shutting the trunk of Toothless' car. "Yep," he smiled. "Let's go."

It had been a few days since the interrogation. Stoick had been absolutely livid when Hiccup came home and barely had a reasonable answer for where he'd been. He only stuttered out half-assed apologies about falling asleep at Toothless' house, which was true, at least. Astrid hadn't talked to him much except at work to tell him to "put this away" or "will you clean that up?" She had been pretty closed off, and Hiccup knew it wasn't just because Toothless had rat her out on being a victim to Collin. She'd heard his biggest secret, and that secret was just too big for him to handle and speak about, especially to someone who obviously didn't give a shit about him. He knew Astrid wouldn't tell, and some part of him trusted her for not opening her mouth, but she may never look at him the same again, and he accepted that. He had at least three people in his life that didn't treat him like crap because of what happened to him, and that was good enough.

Hiccup was elated for the trip to Toothless' aunts. His boyfriend had been telling him stories all morning in the chilly air while packing their bags and warming up the car. His aunt had one daughter, Marcie, and was pregnant with a baby boy, only three months in. Toothless stayed vague, but her husband had passed only a week after the news of the pregnancy, which made sense from the few days Toothless had taken off school to drive to the funeral. He'd died in his sleep, which comforted his aunt to know he went peacefully.

Toothless grinned as they got in the car, flipping the warm air on. "Let's go."

After five and a half hours of singing Christmas songs, weaving through cars, and a short stop at Steak and Shake, Hiccup's favorite fast food restaurant, they finally arrived. Hiccup gazed up at the house. It was huge, just as big as his, with sanded pillars on the porch and sleek sides with rectangular windows. "Wow," Hiccup breathed. "That's admirable."

"It appears I'm the only one who doesn't want a big house in the family," Toothless said, taking out the key.

Hiccup bit his lip. "Do you think she'll like me?"

Toothless kissed him. "Of course she will. Who doesn't?"

Hiccup could make a list from school, but decided not to. He smiled. "Yeah. You're right."

"As per usual."

They walked to the entrance and dropped their bags at the door. Toothless rang the doorbell and not a moment later a woman flung open the door. Her hair was messy, long locks splattered in tangles around her head. Hiccup barely got a glimpse of her pale skin underneath before she shut the door.

"You're not supposed to be here yet!" the woman yelled through the door. A childish giggle came from afar.

"Aunt Nora, come on!" Toothless called. Hiccup stifled a laugh. "You _never_ clean up when I come!"

"Your boyfriend is here, and I, for one, want to make an impression!" she yelled. Then, "Marcie, I swear to god! Put the dough over there so they don't see it!"

There was shifting inside while Toothless rolled his eyes. "Aunt Nora, really? I told you I would help you cook."

The door slowly squeaked open. The woman peaked her head out. Her hair was more presentable, but there was dough all over the front of her skin-tight shirt. She was petite with dark green eyes and a worry line between her brows. She looked around thirty, but even younger from how short and toned she was. In a way, Hiccup could see Toothless in her.

She cleared her throat and gave him a grand smile. "Hi, you must be Hiccup."

Hiccup grinned his crooked grin and shook her hand. "And you're Ms. Grigio."

"Ah." She waved a dismissing hand. "No need for formalities here. Call me Nora. It's so nice to meet you."

"You, too."

"I'm here too," Toothless said. Nora got up on her tip toes and wrapped her arms around his neck as much as she could with their large height difference and gave him a hug.

"Hi, sweetie," she said. "How are you?"

"Just fine," Toothless said. "And how are you doing?"

She glanced back inside the house, then leaned forward like they were sharing a secret. "I'm learning how to deal with a hyper-active kid without day-care. Everything's going grand," she whispered. "She's really into cookies, so she wanted to make you guys some." She seemed to realize where they were. "Oh! My goodness, excuse my terrible manners. Please, come inside, you must be so cold."

They stepped inside, Nora scurrying inside, rubbing goosebumps on her arms away. She looked back over to them. "Sorry about the kitchen. We were having a little cooking match when you two showed up."

They walked into the kitchen. It had flour dusted over the sink and countertops. Dough was spread out over granite like thick pieces of paper. Cookie sheets laid on baking pans while only some cut out cookies were put on them. A little girl with curly brown hair ran up to Toothless and gave him a big hug around his legs. "Big cousin!" she exclaimed. "You're here!"

Toothless laughed, and Hiccup had never seen something so cute then when Toothless scooped her up and set her on his hip. She had a rounded face with thick lashes and rosy cheeks. She caught sight of Hiccup and said, "You're Toothless' _boyfriend_."

Hiccup smiled. "Yes, I am. You must be Marcie." She nodded sharply with puffed cheeks. "I've heard many things about you from Toothless. You seem like the star of the show over here."

She watched him with narrowed eyes. "You're nice to big cousin?"

Hiccup was surprised by her seriousness. "Uh, yeah. Of course."

"Now, now, girly," Toothless said. "Be polite; he's never met you before. No need to kill him with your stare."

"Can you bake cookies?" she asked Hiccup. Hiccup bit his lip, hiding an amused smile.

"As a matter of fact, cookies are the only things I can bake," he said. "Anything else, I mess up."

"A lot," Toothless added. Nora swatted his head. He looked startled.

"Be nice," she said. "I want you to be a man and show your loved one respect."

Hiccup put a hand against his mouth to stop himself from laughing as Toothless made a look that could have only been a pout. "Yes, ma'am."

Marcie said, "Yeah, big cousin. You be nice. No playing with him. Or mouth stuff. Because boys have cooties."

Toothless chuckled with a soft smile. "You won't be thinking like that in a few years."

She made a rosy-cheeked thoughtful look, scrunching up her nose. "Since you kiss a boy, can I kiss a girl?"

"You can kiss whoever you desire," Nora said, floating over to the dough, smashing the roll together with surprising strength. "If you find an attractive girl, by all means, go get her."

She pursed her lips. "Girls have cooties. Not as much as boys, though."

Toothless set her down. "You are sure set on cooties. Is this a phase?"

"Of course it is," Nora said, and Toothless came over to start helping as Hiccup sat at the raised bar. "Everyone has this phase."

Marcie sat next to Hiccup. "What's a 'phase'?"

"A certain period of time, honey," Nora said, taking a chunk out of the dough. "So, Hiccup," she started, "I guess it's my job to interrogate my nieces boyfriend. So you mind?"

Hiccup shook his head. "Not at all."

"What are your grades in school?"

"Straight A's."

"Plans for the future?"

"College, maybe. Not sure about my profession, but something inspirational. And art."

"Do you read?"

"Yes."

"Family?"

"Just me and my dad."

"Why Toothless?"

"He's the only person who cares for me and he happens to be the best person I've ever met in my life."

"Ooooh, I liked that answer. What do you do in your free time?"

"Draw, paint, anything art. Sometimes I build. I have a job at a friend's restaurant as a waiter; I've been one since I was seven and a half."

"Are you religious?"

"Not really."

"Would you want to have kids one day?"

"Maybe. I don't know. I've never really thought about it."

"What kind of work does your dad do?"

"He's the manager for Berk's industries. He does a lot of traveling."

"Musically inclined?"

"He can sing," Toothless added in.

"No, I can't."

"You into sports?"

"Not really. Toothless has been teaching me football. It's kind of how we met."

Nora let out a long sigh, then smiled widely. "You're good in my book, then," she said. "One more question: What the wildest thing you've ever done?"

Hiccup brow drew in. "Uh…"

"Mine was getting into a fight with an owner of a bar when my friends and I went bar hopping. Got to sue him and everything," she said with a shit-eating grin. "So?"

"Probably talking to Toothless," he admitted. Toothless grinned at him, flicking flour at his nose.

Nora's smile almost covered her face. "And how exactly did you guys meet?"

"Well, we never really talked since Toothless was on the football team and I was kind of the invisible type," Hiccup said. "I hung around the old bleachers after school and he started running there, and he walked up to me one day and tried to get me to play football. But I couldn't because of my leg. And then he kept asking."

Nora didn't pry about his leg. She turned to Toothless. "Why did you ask?"

Toothless' face turned bright red, and he groaned, trying to cover it up. Hiccup laughed. "I just…I don't know. I felt like I had to. And besides, he is cute."

"Aw, I'm flattered," Hiccup said.

Toothless leaned over and pecked him on the cheek, leaving a dust of flour. Marcie looked between them, and Hiccup looked at her. "You okay, Marcie?"

"I like you," she said. "You make big cousin very happy."

…

 **Sorry this is so short. I wished I made it longer, but I have to go to a football game in ten minutes and I haven't even gotten ready. Oops.**

 **Anyways, I loved this chapter. There are going to be more coming, especially with their trip. I want to make this one special before they come back. So get ready for a wild ride!**

 **Thanks so much for reading! I love all of you and your comments make me smile. Hope you enjoyed!**


	23. Chapter 23

**Hello, everyone! I actually like the answering questions thing, so I'm going to do it some more.**

 **DiamondDoggie: I didn't really expect someone to ask this question. I'm free to say I believe I'm bisexual. It's fair to say I've never talked about it to anyone. And it's sad because I would never tell anyone because I'm a really shy and introverted person, and my parents are, well, pretty anti-gay. It's kind of a running joke with a few of my friends that I'm "lesbian" because I think Ruby Rose is hot (that's the only girl I've ever commented on** **publicly** **, but I'm not going to lie, I'm attracted to girls as well as boys). My sister thinks I'm going to be bi, and she doesn't know how right she is. I know she won't care because she's really open to homosexuality (her role models are Tyler Oakley and Joey Graceffa) but I would never tell her because she has a big mouth, as well as any of my loved ones, which is sad, but I'm not ashamed of who I'm attracted to. I'm perfectly okay with saying this here because no one will judge me and there are others that are attracted to the same genders as well. So, you're not prodding at all, it's kind of a relief to say this. Thanks ;)**

 **That's all I'm going to do for today. Hope you enjoy the chapter!**

…

…

"Um, why did you send them off?" Hiccup asked nervously.

Nora hummed lightly. She had sent Toothless and Marcie to the ice cream shop on the other side of the mall, leaving her and Hiccup alone. She shifted through clothes. "I wanted to talk to you."

Hiccup cleared his throat. "Oh. About what exactly?"

Nora sighed. "Hiccup, I'm really not a pushy person, but I just need to ask you some other stuff."

His eyes widened. "Well, you can ask me anything. If Toothless trusts you, I do, too."

She looked up at him, and he almost choked from the tears in her eyes. "Oh my God," she said, sniffing loudly, ignoring all the stares that turned their way. "I'm just…sorry, I never get this emotional."

Hiccup looked around, not sure what to do. "Oh, um, don't be sad. I'm sorry. Did I say something? It was me, wasn't it?" He ran a hand through his hair. "God, why do I have to screw this up – "

"No, no," she said thickly. "It isn't that at all, honey. I…" She sniffed again. "The way you look at Toothless and the way he looks at you…oh lord, it has been so long since I've seen him this happy." She cleared her throat, but then she made a squeaking sound as more tears flooded to her eyes. "He's been through so much, and I just have to ask…"

Hiccup found his throat closing up on him. "I…I care about him," he said. "I care about him so much it almost hurts. I don't think I could ever not think about parting with him." Oh, god, now they were crying together. Nora sobbed. Hiccup somehow managed to find his voice: "I just…he's the only one who truly cares about me. And he's so amazing. He _understands_ and _listens_. I – I love – "

Hiccup stopped, and cried harder.

Nora hugged him hard, and he could feel tears soaking his shoulder, and he knew he was doing the same to her. "Nora," he sobbed. "We're crying in the middle of the mall."

Her voice hitched as she sobbed again. "I know! It's it great?"

Then he was laughing. And Nora was laughing. People scrambled away from the scene, not wanting to be any part of the crazy people having break downs in the middle of shopping. When they finally calmed down, they let go of each other, red-eyed with tear stains on their cheeks.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I didn't mean to do that."

"It's okay." He sniffed. "I think we both needed it."

"It's the department of my husband," she said. "I – I can see the way you look at each other. You're in love."

Hiccup managed a weak smile. "Love sounds nice."

"Can I ask you about your leg?" she asked suddenly. She wiped furiously at her face. "You don't have to answer me, but I – "

"It wasn't from a fight or anything," Hiccup said, trying to rid himself of the soreness in his throat. "I was in a car wreck and my leg couldn't be saved. Or my mom."

"I'm sorry," she said.

"Don't say that," Hiccup said.

"Sorry."

Hiccup laughed a little. "I think we're more alike than I'd originally thought.'

It wasn't long before they met up with Toothless and Marcie at the ice cream shop after they managed to make themselves look partially acceptable. Toothless' brows drew together when he saw Hiccup, wondering why it looked like he'd been crying. Then he saw Nora.

"Have you guys been crying?" he asked, Marcie next to him licking at her chocolate ice cream with cookie crumble inside. She glanced up at them in confusion.

"Oh, no," Hiccup said lightly in a sing-song tone, not wanting to worry Toothless or Marcie. "We just walked into a too strong Axe aisle."

"Oh." Toothless didn't look too convinced. Nora scooped up Marcie and Toothless slipped an arm around his waist, and Hiccup's cheeks colored. "Alright."

"Toothless," Hiccup whispered as Marcie watched them curiously and Nora took a bite of her ice cream. "We're in public. And Marcie's just…staring at us."

"We're states away from home, and we know no one here. Besides, Marcie is just curious," Toothless chuckled.

Marcie swiped her tongue around her messy lips. "I'm making ob-ser-va-tions," she said choppily.

Hiccup couldn't help but laugh, easing into Toothless' touch. "Nice job with the wording. You might want to learn some new ones from the walking dictionary over here."

Toothless scoffed. "I don't actually _speak_ them; I write them."

"Same thing."

"Oh, hush you two," Nora reprimanded, brushing a strand hair out of Marcie's face as the girl giggled. "I have to do some Christmas shopping for friends." Marcie slid out of her arms. "Would you guys watch her? I don't want her getting into the perfume and makeup."

Marcie made a scoffing noise. "I don't need makeup. Makeup's girly."

"You are a _girl_ ," Toothless said amusedly.

"I like my face," she said, taking another gulp out of her cone. Hiccup laughed.

"That's reassuring." He slipped his hand into Toothless'. "Be confident and nothing will ever bring you down."

"I'm too strong to be brought down," she said, bringing up her arm to flex her bicep. Only girlish muscle.

"You sure are a tomboy," Hiccup said. Tapped his chin. "You remind me of a girl at home."

Marcie's eyes got wide. "Is she a pretty, strong girl?"

"Uh, I guess," Hiccup said. Toothless laughed.

"Then I'm like her," she said with a note of finality. Her childish mind obviously drifted off as she gazed over to the right to a store through the small crowds of groups. "Oh!" she squealed. She pointed. "Can we go there? _Pleeeeeasseeee_?"

Hiccup looked over to the Candy Shop. "But you're eating – "

Marcie dropped her half-eaten cone into a trash can. "Eating what?"

"Stubborn."

"C'mon, girly," Toothless sighed. "You can't just – "

Hiccup nudged him softly. "She _only_ had half of it," he said. "Let's go get some candy."

Toothless looked at him. Then sighed. "She has you wrapped around her finger, doesn't she?"

"Same with you and Hiccup!" Marcie cried, already sprinting to the shop. Toothless made a choked sound and he and Hiccup went sprinting after her before they could lose her in a swarm of people. They managed to catch up with her as they entered inside. The smell of sugar was sweet to their senses, and déjà vu rolled over the both of them.

They both smiled at each other. "Wow, this reminds me of something," Hiccup laughed.

Toothless dragged him over to the Twizzlers. "Marcie, come watch this!" he called.

The small girl came trotting over in curiosity. "What? What is it?"

Toothless gathered a bunch of Twizzlers in his hand, Hiccup snickering manically behind him. They snuck through the aisles and by the front desk where the cashier had his head buried in a magazine. Toothless stuck a bunch under the chocolate fountain. Marcie gasped in amazement. "You can do that?" she whispered.

Hiccup held a finger up to his lips. "I doubt it."

"You guys are _so_ cool," she said. Toothless snorted.

"We are cool _and_ get straight A's," he said, glancing over to make sure the cashier wasn't watching them. " _And_ gay."

Hiccup let out a loud laugh that had him clapping his hand over his mouth. The cashier didn't look up. Toothless took out the Twizzlers, Marcie giggling under her breath. After a few moments and the chocolate hardened just a bit, they grabbed a bag and set them inside so the remaining chocolate that was melting wouldn't drip. Toothless took one and handed it to Marcie. "Here. Try it."

She took it without hesitation, biting off the end with chocolate. Her eyes lit up as she chewed. "This is better than cookies!"

"Oh, no," Hiccup said. "I think she just passed on to another phase." He stared, and then shrugged, taking one of the Twizzlers and sticking it into his mouth, letting the sugar of the Twizzler and rich chocolate melt in his mouth. " _So_ good."

Toothless ate one in a few bites. Hiccup laughed. "Slow down there, tiger."

"I thought _you_ were the tiger," Toothless said playfully. "And _I_ was the dragon."

"Can I be a bear?" Marcie piped up. "I like bears. They are soft."

"I really hope you don't know from experience," Hiccup muttered. Toothless leaned in close, eyes sparkling, and bit off a bite of his Twizzler. Hiccup's face turned red.

"You looked like a tomato!" Marcie cried, cackling.

Hiccup's face only got redder. Toothless took another bite, lips brushing against lips. Then, "Uh, excuse me?"

They pulled away and looked at the cashier. Toothless looked unimpressed. "Yes?"

The cashier looked surprised when they both turned to him, probably because they were both guys. Hiccup's embarrassment flushed away when the boy's face got red. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to, uh, interrupt you guys, but we're not supposed to have any kind of, you know, sexual contact or anything in the store." He looked over to Marcie, who looked bored. "And, um, is it appropriate to do that in front of a child?"

"Okay, I'm related to her," Toothless said. "And she's fully aware of what goes on in the world. Including same sex relationships. And this "no sexual content" thing is stupid. This isn't a porno. We were just messing around."

Hiccup rolled his eyes. "C'mon on, Toothless. Let's just go."

"Wait, Toothless?" the cashier said, his voice tracing in shock and blind surprise.

"Yes, that's my name?" Toothless said slowly, watching the guy.

A smile spread across the guy's lips. "Man, I haven't seen you in forever."

"What?" Toothless mumbled. He narrowed his eyes. "…Oh…Blake?"

"Don't act like we're strangers," he – Blake – said. "I haven't seen you for years. How have you been?"

Toothless' eyes widened. "Great. I just – you look so different. You used to be so…"

"Small," Blake said. He pulled on a smile and held out his hand. "It's been a while."

He shook it. "Why are you back in town?" Blake asked.

"Big cousin came for Christmas with his _boyfriend_!" Marcie cheered, snatching another Twizzler and shoving it into her mouth. "They make good candy."

"Oh." Blake's eyes slid over to Hiccup, and he held out his hand. "You must be his…boyfriend?"

Hiccup smiled. "Yeah. My name's Hiccup."

"Wow," he said. He looked between them, down to their clasped hands. "I would have never expected that you…were…uh…"

"Gay?" Toothless supplied. "Yeah, it's a shocker."

"Definitely." Blake smiled. He looked to Marcie. "And who's this?"

"My name's Marcie," she said proudly. "I'm Toothless' cousin."

While Blake started chatting away with Marcie, Hiccup turned to Toothless. "Old friend?"

"Kind of. He's sort of a kinda-sorta…past…crush?" Toothless admitted questioningly. Hiccup scowled. "No! It's not like that. He's just one of the guys I kind of started to notice, you know, when I realized I was gay."

"So you thought he was cute? Is he cute now to you?"

Toothless' face turned red. "No, no! It's just – I mean, he just caught my eye before I moved to Berk."

"Mhm." Hiccup, being the genius he'd always been, bent down, acting like he was picking something up, and practically waved his butt in his boyfriend. He smirked when he heard him mutter, "Oh, Christ."

He stood back up once Blake turned away from Marcie, taking Toothless' hand in his. Blake looked at Toothless' for a long time. "Your face is really red. Like, really red. Are you okay?"

"Fine," he said tightly. He pulled on a strained smile, trying to will away the heat smoldering in his cheeks. "I think it's time for us to make our leave, eh? My aunts probably waiting for us."

Blake nodded, and smiled. "It's nice seeing you again."

"Yeah," Toothless said. "You, too."

As they headed out, Hiccup called out, "Nice meeting you!"

…

Dinner that night was pretty uneventful. If cooking an entire buffet was uneventuful. It was Hiccup's second night staying there and he already felt like he had another home.

It was afterwards where Marcie would go to bed and Nora, Toothless, and him would sit next to the largest window in the house, which was in the living room. They watched the snow billow down next to the glowing fire with warm mugs in their hands. Nora seemed amused when Hiccup sat right on top of Toothless when they plopped down on the couch. "We always sit like this," Toothless said. "It's how we read."

"What kind of books do you like?" Nora asked Hiccup. Hiccup pursed his lips as Toothless ran his hands through his hair.

"Well, I honestly haven't read as much as I have in years in the past five months," he said. He smiled. "It was Toothless. He told me he wanted to be a writer, and when I finally went over to his house for the first time, I saw his bookcase. Yeah, the big one," he added at Nora's grin. "And, I mean, I've always loved to read, but art was my strong suit." He smiled even wider. "And Toothless taught me how to pick out the spoilers and parts that would definitely lead to an important part. Pretty handy." He shrugged. "So far I've read plenty of sci-fis, and that's what I like."

"Hiccup's really good at art," Toothless added smugly, ignoring the annoyed look Hiccup sent him. "Got second place in the entire district too."

Nora's brows rose. "Wow," she said through her mug. "Impressive."

"It's nothing." Hiccup waved, snuggling into Toothless.

" _The Broken and the Torn_ ," Nora said suddenly. Hiccup hummed in question. "Do you know that book?"

Hiccup shook his head. "I can't say I've heard of it." Toothless nodded in agreement.

"It's a great book," she said lightly, sipping at her drink. "Beautiful writing and plot. You both should read it."

"I'll look it up," Hiccup said drowsily. Toothless chuckled at his obvious tiredness.

"Sugar crash?" he asked amusedly.

"You don't know the half of it," Hiccup muttered. "It's from those heavenly Twizzlers."

"Go to sleep, then," Toothless said, curling him more towards him to be comfortable. "It's really late, anyway."

And Hiccup was out like a light.

…

 **Sorry for the delay, peeps. It's my second week of freshman year, and I made a huge mistake yesterday. Accidentally skipped a class. Literally. I thought it was lunch, so I went to the library to read and do some extra work, and my friend texted me asking me where I was. Yep, there went English class. Teacher said it won't go on my record, though, so that's good. I know I was definitely not the first person to do it. I honestly wasn't embarrassed, it was absolutely hilarious. Everyone knows about it now because of my friend and now everyone on the bus won't let me live it down. Hilarious, but ultimately screwed.**

 **I hope you liked this chapter! There's more to come! Reviews are appreciated!**


	24. Chapter 24

**Red-Knight: I honestly don't know how many chapters there will be. I hope a lot, or as much as there need be. But this story will wrap up whenever it feels best.**

 **MyNameIsClassified: I actually haven't read the books. Well, I started reading the first one, but I was going through a tough and busy time and I couldn't find a moment to read it. I do realize that Stoick is much dumber and nicer than how I portray him in my story, but there is a reason why I do this. I will have his point of view visited, even if briefly. And, yes, very eloquent**

 **DJS: Thanks so much, it means a lot.**

 **DiamondDoggie: I am actually known for keeping secrets. Well, to anyone I've told a personal secret to. To tell my parents something personal, about how I'm feeling and such, seems so strange and foreign to me, and I know that seems sad. I actually asked my mom once how she would feel if I was gay, and she said she wouldn't like it at all, but she couldn't do anything about it. I've never mentioned it to my dad because I've listened to him goes on and on about how gays are going to hell and how same sex relationships are wrong, and "don't even get me started about the marriage." I know I will tell someone at some point, but only time will tell. Obviously there's more to it, but I'm not going to go that deep. Thanks for being such a gem, I mean it**

 **Alright, let's get to it!**

 **Note: Guys, please remember this isn't edited. Sometimes I do go back and fit a few things, but I still miss stuff, so I'm sorry if I misspell or put the wrong name in place.**

…

…

"You know what," Toothless said. "I have the best idea."

Hiccup looked at him, cutting conversation off with Nora. "Oh no. What?"

He grinned. "Don't look too excited." He hopped up from his chair. "There's going to be a huge snow storm tomorrow, and I want to take advantage of this."

…

Half an hour later, they were standing at the front counter at the Chiller. "Uh," Hiccup said. "Toothless, you _know_ I can't ice skate."

"That's the beauty of it," Toothless said, handing the cashier a twenty dollar bill and shifting Marcie on his hip. The little girl played at his hair contently. "And you also know there's a difference between _can't_ and _won't_."

Hiccup scoffed as Nora snorted behind him. He put a mock hand to his heart. "I'm offended. Are you saying that I'm a wimp?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying. You're an ice skating wimp."

Hiccup scooped Marcie out of Toothless' arms and into his as she squealed from the ride. Hiccup scoffed and looked at him defiantly. "I'll take that as a challenge." He turned his nose up. "C'mon, Marcie. Let's go get some shoes without uncivilized people."

He started walking about, but Toothless called out, "Wrong way!"

Hiccup grumbled, heading back the other way with a smirking Toothless next to him. "You know," Nora hummed. "I haven't been ice skating in so long. A year? A year in a half? And we live right next to a rink for God's sake!"

"That's because you're busy watching after this trouble-maker!" Toothless swept Marcie back into his arms as Hiccup protested. "You're a handful, aren't you, girly?"

Marcie frowned, mimicking Hiccup by turning her nose up. "I don't think so," she said.

"Oh? And what do you think you are?"

"Your worst nightmare!" she exclaimed, swatting her hands all around his messy dark hair.

Toothless cried out playfully, batting her lightly on the shoulder with his free hand. Nora looked up at the person standing behind the desk that was watching them. "So sorry," she said, not sounding sorry at all. "They're just being idiots."

Hiccup snorted. The guy smiled apologetically. "Nah," he said, "it's fine. What sizes do you need?"

Nora quickly told them their sizes, trying to shush the two bickering kids beside her as Hiccup joined into the laughing. The guy gave them their shoes and they weaved through the people to get to a bench. It wasn't too crowded; it was a Wednesday after all. People mostly showed up on Friday when work was off.

"Hey!" Toothless protested as Marcie smacked him in the nose. "That hurt." Marcie looked proud of herself.

"Wow, Toothless. You're getting beat up by a six-year-old," Hiccup laughed. He tried to move to the side, but his shoulder was bumped backwards. He stumbled on his feet, waving his arms to keep himself upright. Thankfully, he didn't fall. A hand grabbed his arm to steady him. "Whoa, okay, I'm good."

"You alright, babe?" a deep voice said. Hiccup looked up…only to see probably the most intimidating man he'd ever seen. The man's eyes widened.

"Wow, you're not a chick," he said. Hiccup swallowed thickly. The guy was built like a rock and had ten times more the chance to knock him down than Collin did. He sucked in a breath.

"Uh, yeah, sorry about that," he managed to say. He pulled his arm away. "I'll just be going – "

"Wait, hold on," the guy said, his deep voice dropping even more into a rumbling baritone. Hiccup resisted the urge to run. "I should at least give you a proper apology."

"Uh, no, that's not necessary," Hiccup said quickly, shooting words off his tongue like bullets. "I'll just go –"

His arm was snaked around again and his body lurched as he was yanked forward. The man's face came close to his, and he could smell the strong stench of alcohol. "You do look a mighty but like a girl. How about – "

"Is there a problem?" Toothless was suddenly at his side. The man looked up at him, and Hiccup took the distraction to take back his arm, rubbing his wrists that were still wrapped with bandages to keep the bruises hidden from his previous encounter. His hands shook and his throat swelled. He couldn't think about that now.

"Hey, what's the big problem?" the man said, a slurred accent to his words. "I was just – "

"Touching my boyfriend," Toothless said lowly. The people surrounding them were too loud to hear their words. Marcie hid behind Toothless' leg, clutching to his pants tightly. "Don't let me find you doing it again."

The man squinted his eyes. "What's it to you?" he said. "He's obviously a bitch – "

"That's a naughty word!" Marcie barked, stepping in front of Toothless, setting her fists on her hips. She scowled up at him like she was the one who had the upper hand. "Don't touch Hiccup!"

The man grunted, in anger in surprise. He looked at the three of them, then turned, and stalked away. Hiccup calmed his beating heart, pulling on a tight smile. "Wow. Aren't we the trio?"

Toothless didn't seem too amused. "That guy was like forty and a body-builder," he said. "I'm going to go – "

"No," Hiccup said, setting an arm on his shoulder. He took another reassuring smile. "I'm fine, don't worry. I'm just trying to not think about it." He pouted childishly at Toothless' scowl, ignoring the scared feeling in his chest that had leapt to his throat. "C'mon, don't let this ruin your night."

Toothless looked at him. Then looked back from where the man had disappeared. He looked back. Then sighed. "Okay," he said.

"Just don't think about it," Hiccup said. "It works."

Toothless smiled slightly. "Okay. Okay, let's go."

"Where's Nora?" he asked.

"In the bathroom." He glanced down at Marcie who was still staring where the man had been. "Are you okay, girly?"

She looked up at him. "That was scary," she said.

"You don't look very scared."

"That's because I'm strong," she affirmed, flexing her arms again. Toothless laughed, easing the tightening in his stomach. "Alright, let's get our skates on."

Within minutes they were waddling out to the skating rink. Marcie was giggling the entire way as Hiccup nearly tripped over his own feet several times. Toothless was fluent in stride like an elegant cat. "Jesus," Hiccup muttered. "How the hell do you do that?"

"I don't know," Toothless said, shrugging. "Football."

"Football players don't walk like that. With or without skates."

Toothless grinned. "Then I'm just my own breed, then."

Hiccup scoffed as they finally reached the entrance. "Oh no," he said. They climbed out in the ice, and he immediately started teetering, but he held onto the wall. "Ah, fuck!"

"That's another naughty word!" Marcie said as she jumped onto the ice, drifting around like a professional. Hiccup's mouth dropped as Toothless slid in doing the same.

"Aw, man!" he called, scuttling his feet back and forth. He tried to stand up, but when he took a step, he slipped and went falling backwards, but Toothless' arms wrapped around his waist before he could smack into the ground. He opened his eyes. Toothless smiled down at him.

"Don't give me that look," Hiccup muttered as Toothless clucked his tongue with an I-told-you-so expression. "I also told you I couldn't do anything that started with 'skate.' So you've got nothing on me."

"Uh-uh," Toothless hummed. "Come on, you have to at least try." He pushed backwards, holding Hiccup in place. Hiccup wobbled, but let him guide the way. "You can. Just try."

Hiccup moved his legs a little, trying to level out his weight. "Yeah, I think we can stay on the first step."

Toothless laughed heartily. Hiccup blushed down to his toes. Toothless pulled him close, bodies flush. Hiccup could feel the gentle hold of Toothless' sturdy arms and every finger that was pressed on his lower back. He could feel his strong chest and his warm breath ghosting over his nose. Toothless kissed him. He felt the form of his lips, how both of them melted together as if waiting for one another for so long. His arms wrapped around his neck as his eyes fluttered shut, lost in the euphoric sensations. Toothless pulled away before he could get too into it. They were both breathing heavily. Some couples were staring at them, and Hiccup's face turned a bit red, but he found himself not caring as much as he did before. He just smiled with Toothless and kissed him lightly again, the constellations of the ice beneath them.

…

Hiccup got a call later that night from Snotlout.

He answered, wondering why his cousin would be calling him when Hiccup had told him specifically all the details of the trip and to _not_ check up on him as if he was a baby. He held the phone to his ear. "Hello?"

" _Oi,"_ Snolout said through the speaker, voice deep. The sound was a bit shaggy and crinkled a bit.

His eyes narrowed. "Are you calling me just to do the paper-breaking up thing?" he asked, irritated. He shifted on the couch, crossing his legs, listening vaguely to Nora humming behind him in the kitchen as she pranced around making dinner. "Because that's not amusing."

" _What? Oh no,"_ his cousin said. _"It's on speaker. I'm with Astrid."_

Astrid's voice floated through. _"Hey, Hiccup."_

"Uh…?" He glanced over to Nora, who stopped to look at him, mouthing 'who is it?' He waved her off. "Nothing, it's my cousin," he said to her. He went back to the phone. "Why exactly are you calling when I told you not to? In those words, actually."

" _Ummm…."_ Hiccup could _hear_ how uncomfortable Snotlout was. _"There was, uh…"_ He cleared his throat. _"Gobber says hi."_

There was ruffling and a soft thump, like someone had been knocked in the head. Astrid hissed something, but Hiccup couldn't make out the exact words. _"Oh, well, we all wanted to say hi…It's…hard not having you at the restaurant, and….all that. Yeah."_

"That's all you wanted to say?" Hiccup asked suspiciously, lips thinning. "I call bullshit."

" _Astrid, we can't – "_ Another thump. _"Uh, how's your leg doing?"_

"My _leg_?" he repeated, even more befuddled than before. "When have you ever cared about my leg?"

" _Okay, that was insulting."_ Thump. _"Ow! Jesus, Astrid. What is with you? Why don't_ _ **you**_ _just talk – "_

Hiccup's stomach tightened, and, surprisingly, his eyes started to sting. "Is Astrid…mad at me?"

" _Huh?_ " He could also fell the accusing stare. _"Why in the hell would she be mad at you?"_

"No, I mean like…" He bit his lip. "She's kind of avoiding me. I know she can hear me. Is it because of what you heard at the station?"

There was a long, stunned silence. Then, _"_ _ **What**_ _?"_ Snotlout hissed, like venom was stuck on the tip of his tongue. _"You found out about that? And now you're just ignoring – "_

" _It's not because of that!"_ Astrid exclaimed. She sighed. _"Well, I mean, it's partly because of that. And before you"_ – Dull smack _" – say anything, I-I don't really want this to come off in a…different way. I'm just…mad…"_ She paused. _"That…you never told me…"_

Hiccup ran a hand through his hair, ignoring the concerned look he got from Nora. "Astrid, I also don't want this to come off in the best way, but why would I tell you?"

" _Touché,"_ she said snappily. _"Same with you. It's irrational anger, okay? And I just wanted to see if you were okay."_

Wow. Astrid showing genuine, caring emotion for another that she didn't particularly favor. Scratch that, apparently she did favor him. He thought he'd never hear 'emotion' and 'Astrid' in the same sentence. "Oh," he said.

" _Oh? That's it? Seriously?"_

He saw Toothless enter the kitchen, saying something witty to Nora, the circle around to slip underneath him on the couch. "Astrid, really. You're fine. I get it…kind of. It's not your fault, anyway. Besides," he said, snuggling deeper into Toothless' chest as the latter gave him a questioning look to why Astrid would be calling him. "I'm perfectly fine. We're having _tons_ of fun over here." He chuckled. "Already met a guy I compete in with looks according to Toothless."

"Oh my God, this again?!" Toothless exclaimed, groaning loudly. "Are you ever going to let this go? You are _way_ cuter than him! Drill that through your skull!"

"And I'm being complemented profusely over here," Hiccup laughed, batting his boyfriend's arm. "It's a real party. We're going to tons of parties, getting laid every night, drinking until we have the worst hangover, doing drugs. The whole bit." He grinned. "And we also have a six-year-old that reminds me a lot of you, Astrid."

Astrid broke the silence over the phone. _"Oh,"_ she said softly. _"All good things, I hope. What's her name?"_

"Marcie," he answered as Toothless started playing with his hair. Nora flicked on the stove and began setting steaks on the pans. "She's strong. And a looker, too, if I do say so myself."

" _Coming from someone who's gay,"_ Astrid said amusedly. Snotlout said something too low for them to hear. _"Alright. Guys, we're going to go. When are you coming back?"_

"The day after Christmas most likely," Hiccup hummed, twining his legs with Toothless'. "We won't be too long if you miss us _that_ much."

Astrid sighed heavily. _"Goodnight, guys."_

"Goodnight." He hit the off button.

"Help me set the table," Nora chimed. "Marcie should be done with her bath in a few minutes, as well as the food. I won't have us eating like barbarians. Chop, chop."

Hiccup laughed, feeling the rumbling laugh of Toothless under him. He grinned wide, feeling more relaxed than he had in a long time. "Okay. We're coming."

…

…

 **So sorry for the wait. I know I usually like to update this story within a matter of two or three days, sometimes even one, but I've been really busy lately, and a bit on writer's block. It's not too much of writer's block, it's more like I'm looking so far ahead into the fic that I'm forgetting what I was going to write.**

 **I was actually late for my English class. At least I didn't accidentally skip it lol. But tragedy did strike. I went back into horseback riding for the first time since March since I always skip the summer, and my legs are absolutely killing me. I am so sore. I now have to waddle around like a penguin, practically throwing my limbs everywhere, just to walk. So, today I was minding my own business, walking up the stairs. I do this thing where sometimes, if there's enough room, I will skip a stair. So I did that, and so much pain just happened all at once and I just, I guess, completely forgot I needed a leg to walk and it just gave out on me and I tripped with my other foot. Yep, I fell up the stairs. Jokes on me. Turns out I was going the wrong way, too. Had to go up the stairs twice just to figure out what planet I was on.**

 **There's another reason I've been being a bit late on this fic. I've been writing another HTTYD fic for about five weeks, maybe? It's more my writing style and it's developing quite nicely. I started them around the same time, and I have moments where I want to work on one more than the other. I haven't put the other one up yet, but I** _ **will**_ **. I** _ **promise**_ **. I'm** **not** **sure when. Maybe when this fic starts wrapping up and starts floating towards the end, or maybe I'll just wait until it's completely done. Not sure yet. I'm only a few chapters in, but a few chapters for my kind of comfortable writing is a lot, and I'm pretty proud of what I've done so far. So, if you're interested in reading any of my other fanfiction, I will be posting that one towards the end or after this fanfiction (oops, self-promo** **.**

 **Anyways, I hope you liked this chapter. I know I don't into depth of what their feeling, and that's the style I'm going for. Please leave any comments you'd like! They are appreciated!**


	25. Chapter 25

**Astral: I know I really should have included this in here. If you aren't aware, there are certain ice skates for people who have lost a limb. Of course, they're more difficult to skate in, and that's why Hiccup had such a hard time, even though he's so clumsy by nature, anyway.**

 **MyNameIsClassified: I'm impressed by me, too. My clumsiness takes great heights.**

 **waveringshadow: Yeah, I know how you feel. Happens to me a lot.**

 **Laeonasa Enllyn Avery: Oops.**

 **Warnings: there is intense kissing (technically a make out sesh, but whatever). Don't like it, don't read.**

…

…

Hiccup woke up to a high pitched scream and Toothless groaning next to him.

"Presents!" Marcie screamed at the top of her lungs, her voice snagging underneath their door. "Mom, get up! It's Christmas!"

Toothless rolled over and flung an arm around his middle, snuggling closer to him. Hiccup decided it was a dream and started to close his eyes. Then the door flung open and a small child flung herself at the bed and landed right on them.

Toothless shot up and Marcie cried in horror, "Big cousin doesn't have a shirt on!"

Hiccup sat up, rubbing his eyes groggily. "Marcie, what time is it?"

"It's five o'clock! Christmas!" she hollered, curls flooding her face as she started to shake Toothless' legs wildly, but the teen only plopped right back down on his back, bringing Hiccup with him.

"Five?" he mumbled, tucking Hiccup's body flush with his as the latter began to drift off, still not awake to the world. "Marcie, give us a few more minutes."

"No!" she exclaimed, swatting his calves. She hopped off the bed and tugged at the sheets, but Toothless kept them tucked underneath his arms. She let out a cry of frustration. "Get up!"

"Wait until six, at least," Toothless mumbled into Hiccup's hair. "No one's up yet."

"Oh, boys!" Nora called from down stairs, sounding cheery and joyful. "Time to get up! Presents are waiting!"

Hiccup opened his eyes, yawning. "What have I ever done wrong?"

Toothless smiled as he turned over to face him, sighing in contentment. "I thought I was the one who wouldn't get up in the morning."

"Anything after five is fine," Hiccup mumbled.

"It's a minute past five!" Marcie barked furiously, slamming down her arms on the mattress. "Mom said it's time for you to get up!"

"She brought out the parent card," Toothless groaned.

Hiccup untangled himself from Toothless' arms, sitting up, more away this time. "Alright, Marcie we're getting up."

"Hiccup's not wearing a shirt either!" Marcie cried. "Mom, they are not allowed to do that!"

"They're allowed to do whatever they want!" Nora sang from the level below, her voice floating up through the floorboards. "Now, come on! Santa came last night!"

Marcie squealed, a little out of character for her, and ran out of the room, yelling for the two boys to get up. Hiccup finally pulled his boyfriend out of bed, excitement starting to bubble in his stomach. Christmas was his favorite holiday. It was for the snow, but he'd never opened presents with other people after his mom passed. His dad was usually out during Christmas, so he spent the days off walking in the woods and watching old Christmas films by himself.

When they finally dressed in flannel sweatpants and t-shirts, they headed downstairs, and were immediately met with the beautiful smell of baked goods. Toothless perked up more, causing Hiccup to laugh. Marcie was jumping up and down, shoveling cookies into her mouth like crazy while Nora was hopping around the kitchen, baking left and right, a grin on her face.

"Present time, guys," she said, flicking off the oven, swinging her blonde hair over her shoulder, slipping her mits off.

They gathered around the large Christmas tree, the room filled with the scent of peppermint and pine, a beautiful combination. Toothless was still rubbing the sleep out of his eyes while Hiccup kissed him on the cheek as they plopped down on the couch.

Since Marcie was the youngest, she would be going first. She got the biggest present that had her name on it, practically the size of her body, ripping open the paper. "It's from Santa!" she cried. She held up a pair of sleek headphones. "Whoa! Lookie!"

"Santa really did it this year, didn't he?" Toothless whispered amusedly. Nora rolled her eyes, swatting his knee while she pulled another present out. Marcie opened it, pulling out a pair of sneakers. "Yay! For basketball!"

After opening a few more presents, it was Hiccup's turn. He smiled lazily as Nora handed him a small package. "It's from me and Marcie."

"You guys really didn't have to get me anything," he said softly. His voice cracked. "Um, sorry. It's just been a long time since I've done this."

Nora looked sympathetically at him. "It's okay, hun. Go on and open it."

He opened it, holding up a framed picture of him and Toothless making silly faces while wearing Rudolph noses that blinked red. Under that was another framed picture of Toothless kissing his cheek, the red nose mushing his own nose upwards as Hiccup laughed, his cheeks red.

"I found those pictures on my phone when you guys tried on the noses at the mall," Nora said.

"Oh my god, I look like a sloth," Toothless laughed. Hiccup laughed with him and batted his arm.

"You look good," he said. He smiled at Nora. "Thanks so much. I never really expected you to get me anything – "

"Ah-ah, shush," Nora hushed him. "It would be rude to not give to our guest, especially a guest like you."

"Thanks," he said. "Really."

"There's two more presents left," Nora said, pulling out two rectangles wrapped in red paper.

Hiccup pouted, looking at Toothless. "Nothing for me?"

Toothless laughed. "Don't worry. I want you to open yours later on when we're alone."

Nora burst out laughing and Hiccup's face turned as red as a tomato. Toothless, realized what he'd said, blabbered on, "Oh, Hiccup, sorry. I didn't mean it that way, seriously. That really came out wrong, I meant – "

Hiccup laughed despite the blooming heat in his cheeks. "It's okay, Toothless. You don't have to say sorry."

"That's my line."

Hiccup took the presents and handed them to him. "Here, open them, you goof."

Toothless took them, peeling away the paper. Giggles erupted from his throat. "It's the fourth Harry Potter book! You remembered!" He flipped through the book, brows stitching. "Lord, it has the _original cover_ ," he said breathlessly. "How in the world did you get this?"

Hiccup shrugged. "I have my ways. Open the other."

Toothless did. " _The Poems of Edgar Allen Poe_ ," he read. He looked at Hiccup. "You remembered he was my favorite poet?"

Hiccup shrugged again. "I have a good memory."

Toothless kissed him and hugged him tight, whispering, "Thank you."

Hiccup smiled softly, knowing how much that meant to him. "You're welcome."

"I don't know if my present can compare to these," Toothless said playfully.

"If it came from you, then I know it'll be good," Hiccup said.

"Wait!" Marcie exclaimed, shuffling to Nora and grabbing her phone. "Now kiss."

The two teens looked at each other. "Marcie, you are aware you're like _six_ years old, right?"

"I know," she said. "But I want to remember this."

Nora just smiled, ushering her on with her eyes. Hiccup rolled his eyes and pecked Toothless on the lips, who only pouted. "Only a little one?"

"She's taking a picture, Toothless," Hiccup said, face still red. "I don't think she should have one of us making out."

Toothless smiled. "Point taken." He kissed him, longer this time, lingering. "There."

"Aw, you two are just so cute," Nora squealed. "Now let's eat!"

Toothless and Hiccup smiled at each other again.

…

Later that night, when Nora and Marcie were asleep in bed, the two boys stayed up.

"I want to give you your present," Toothless said, almost shyly, which made Hiccup smiled widely.

"No one's stopping you," Hiccup said.

Toothless, face red, opened the drawer from the desk in the corner. He sat down at the edge of the bed, holding out a small box wrapped in green. "Here."

Hiccup smiled. "You don't have to be so nervous, you know," he said. "It's just a present. I'm not going to bite." He tore off the paper and opened the small box. A slip of paper fell out. He picked it up and read aloud, "'I promise if you keep searching for everything beautiful in this world, you will eventually become it.'"

Tears flooded to his eyes, his throat closing up. He turned the slip over, reading the slanted cursive on the back, "In life, there are hiccups. Sometimes, hiccups can be the best thing to happen." Sobs crawled to his throat. "By…Luka Summers."

He looked up, noticing the tears in Toothless' eyes as well as his blurring his vision. "Is this…you?"

Toothless nodded, lip quivering. "No one knows my real name. Not even Nora." He nodded shakily towards the box. "There's more."

Hiccup looked back down, tears dropping to the bed. He pulled out a small charm with an elegant symbol on it, setting the box of quotes on the table.

"It means healing and hope," Toothless said. "And love."

Hiccup's chest tightened.

Toothless came closer to him, and that was all Hiccup needed. He set the charm aside, pulling Toothless over him, crashing his lips to his, emotions swirling. His heart swelled as he poured everything he could into the kiss, devouring the breaths of the boy above him. He wrapped his arms around his neck, ran his fingers through his hair, and dug at his shirt, not able to do all three at the same time. They broke for air, tears swimming in Toothless' eyes, as well as his, both of them falling at the same time and mixing together. The way Toothless' lip quivered and the hands holding tight to him sent sparks up his spine as he started crying and sobbing hysterically.

"I love you," Hiccup said. "I love you so much it hurts."

"I love you, too," Toothless said, his chest hitching. "I love you so much. I can't stop thinking about you. I want to be with you. _I love you_."

Their crying was cut off by both of them connecting their lips, warm and needing. Toothless held himself up, but still held Hiccup like he was the most precious thing in the world. Hiccup rapidly tugged at his shirt, and he pulled it over his head, hands touching skin as suddenly Hiccup lost his own shirt. They explored, fingers trailing over creamy and tan skin, tracing over old, thin scars that they'd never noticed, and no one had never been able to notice. All memories of anything pulled out of their minds as they lost themselves in each other. Hiccup clung to him like the last life force. "I love you so much," he said in between short breaths.

"I love you."

"I swear to god, if you boys are having sex in my house, you are going to sleep in the car!"

They broke apart, eyes widening, heat swelling in their bodies, but laughter still bubbling up out of their lips.

…

…

 **I know. I'm terrible. No sex. Toothless is still a virgin.**

 **I know I've been sticking with the names this entire time, but I'd mentioned in another chapter, during the interrogation, that Toothless was indeed not Toothless' real name, and I meant it. Now, I don't plan on having it heard that much. But I know it will be heard again. Not just small mentions, of course. More important.**

 **Yeah, I brought out the l word. Sue me.**

 **I hope you all enjoyed this chapter; there will soon be more to come! I promise! Please review, they are all appreciated and any questions will be answered!**


	26. Chapter 26

It felt like two minutes instead of two days that past when Hiccup and Toothless had packed up their stuff and threw it into the car. The longing to stay swelled in both of their chests, but they knew they had to go and get their home lives back to normal while school was not too far away from starting up again.

"Oh, god, I wish you two could stay," Nora spluttered, watching them with a hand pressed to her mouth, trying not to shed tears. "Toothless finally brought someone over and now you both are leaving. It feels like it's only been a few hours."

Hiccup smiled up at her sadly. "You don't know how much I wish I could stay."

"Count me in," Toothless mumbled. "I have to go deal with those lunatics at what we call 'high school', which is actually hell cooped up in a prison."

"I have to get back to my job," Hiccup said, nudging Toothless. "And he does, too. Gobber has been sending me constant texts for the past few days trying to get me to come home early to help pick up the pace at the restaurant."

"Oh, he just misses you," Nora said. She turned towards the house, calling, "Marcie, they're almost ready to leave!"

Marcie was definitely not an early bird. She came scrambling out of the house; curly hair splayed everywhere and eyes still sleepy. "Wait, hold on!"

"We're not leaving without saying goodbye!" Toothless chuckled as she jumped up into his arms, giving him the hardest hug she could. She went to Hiccup next, hugging him with all her might, cheeks rosy from getting up so fast.

"You guys are coming back, right?" she asked, staring at both of them expectantly.

"Of course," Toothless said.

Hiccup grinned wide. "It's an honor to be invited back. It means I not only passed the boyfriend test, I made some friends of my own."

Nora laughed, "Both of you come back any time you want. You're always welcome."

Marcie tugged at their jeans, waving for them to lean in close. They did. She whispered quietly, "I have a secret."

"I like secrets," Toothless whispered back, and Hiccup held back an amused smile.

"There's a…" Marcie looked away, face reddening, surprising them both. "There's a very pretty girl at my school."

Hiccup resisted the urge to clap his hands in excitement. "And?"

"I really like her…and I think she wants to be friends with me."

Nora gave them a suspicious eye, wondering what they were talking about, and they huddled closer together. "You say she's pretty, huh?"

Marcie nodded once.

"And you like her a lot?"

Nod.

"Then go after her."

Marcie smiled the brightest smile and hugged them both again. "Just give me a call any time and we can talk about it," Toothless said. "Even Hiccup can."

Hiccup gave him an unamused look. "Was that an insult?"

Toothless puffed out his lip. "Of course not."

"You'll really listen?" Marcie questioned. They both nodded. "Yay!" she cried.

"I don't know what you three are all whispering about," Nora said, "but you both are going to be on the road forever if you don't skedaddle. I don't want you falling asleep at the wheel."

"Aw, are you kicking us out?" Toothless joked.

She huffed. "You wish. Get your butts out there before I start to cry."

After a few more hugs, they were in the car and on the road to home.

…

"Oh, Hiccup!" Gobber exclaimed, wrapped his arms around the boy, lifting him off the floor as they walked into the restaurant. It was almost ten o'clock, so everything was almost closed, just the waitresses and waiters cleaning up. "I missed you so much! You don't understand what I had to put up with while you were gone!"

"Gobber…you're…crushing me," Hiccup managed to say. Gobber let him go and he plopped down to the floor again, Toothless looking amused.

Gobber saw his boyfriend. "It's nice to see you back, too, lad," he said, sniffing. "Work will start in no time for the both of you."

Snotlout stepped forward, wrapping an arm around his cousin's shoulder. "You have some mess to clean up."

"It was Fishlegs' fault!" Ruffnut protested, her braids swinging at her sides. "Not mine!"

"What? Hey! I didn't do anything!" Fishlegs said, looking up from a table he was cleaning.

"It anything, it was yours," Astrid said, setting a hand on her hip and dropping a damp rag into a bucket on the cart. "I don't recall seeing Ruffnut or Fishlegs doing anything."

Snotlout rolled his eyes, but backed off. Hiccup smiled. "Wow, she sure has the upper hand, doesn't she?"

"Why, you – "

"Toothless!" Ruffnut sang, sauntering over to him, grin on her face. "Did you guys have fun?"

Toothless nodded, a smile playing at the edges of his lips. "A lot."

"A _lot_ of _fun_?"

His brows drew together, as did Hiccup's. "Yeah. Why?"

"Anyways," Astrid said, knocking Ruffnut to the side to stop the girl from embarrassing herself and the two boys. "Tell us what you guys did."

Ruffnut snickered, much to the confusion, but Hiccup answered. "We went Christmas shopping, like, twenty times, and then we went ice skating two days before Christmas. Let me tell you, Toothless' aunt cooks like a saint and Marcie is adorable."

"There was a lot of cooking involved," Toothless said with a smile.

"Oh no," Gobber breathed. "Did Hiccup blow anything up?"

Hiccup threw his hands up in the air. "No!" He turned to Astrid. "Oh, you have to talk to Marcie, at least. She's so much like you…in a way," he added at the end, remembering Marcie's maybe crush on a girl at her school.

Astrid raised a brow over at Toothless. "Is he exaggerating?"

"Nope," he said. "Not at all."

"And she absolutely loves basketball and any kind of music, mostly alternative," Hiccup continued. "And at the rink, she stood up – " He stopped and cleared his throat. "Yeah, she's great."

"Sounds like this Marcie has it in for her," Snotlout mumbled.

"She adores me," Hiccup retorted.

"Of course she does," Toothless chuckled.

Everyone looked at him, and he looked back, a stoic expression on his face. Hiccup started laughing so hard he had to gasp for air. When he managed to compose himself, he flashed a big smile and said, "I think it's time for us to make our leave. I'll see you guys soon."

Once they got outside, they both started laughing, leaving half confused and half knowing friends and family behind.

…

…

 **Guys, I'm sick.**

 **I'm sorry this is soooooo short. I've been making them really short recently and that's because I either don't have the time to type it down, or I'm stuck on a part. I know I will make longer chapters when I have time, but there are going to be many chapters like this.**

 **I don't know how long I'm going to make this. It's definitely going to have a lot more chapters, but I'm not sure how much 'a lot' is. I have a few ideas, but I'm not sure how I'm going to get to them yet, so I thank all my followers.**

 **Thanks for reading! I appreciate any reviews!**


	27. Chapter 27

**lutavero: This was actually an idea I had for some more fluff**

 **DJS: I really have been trying to include the other characters. I have done Astrid and Snotlout mostly, and there is more of them to come, I promise, they have big parts. But Ruffnut and Tuffnut and Fishlegs are pretty hard for me. It's hard to see them having a big part because in my case for this story they are more like supporting friends, mostly Ruffnut though. I know I will add some Fishlegs because I really do see him as a potential friend for Hiccup, but I'm not sure how I'm going to include Tuffnut, but I do have a very small idea for the future.**

 **DJS: Okay, I had an idea of how long this fic was going to be until I wrote this chapter. I can't really estimate an amount of chapters, but I know there is no way this will get to 100 because that's a real drag, even for me the book worm. I'll be lucky to get this to fifty chapters** _ **I think**_ **, because I just started another main subplot in this chapter, but I know this won't last too long either because I'm sure of how this will turn out. It's just how I'm going to get there is the hard part. So** _ **right now**_ **I think this can definitely go up to forty chapters, but even there I doubt. Like I said, it's really hard to know because the words just pop into my mind when I write.**

 **Mirage: I really do like to bend the rules. But when you are involved with a gang, it's hard to get someone in trouble at all, especially for attempted murder, in high school unless there is cold hard proof of that exact person doing it, like pictures, videos. It's very hard to find proof. But that's beside the point. Most gangs, especially the one I am beginning to create, are able to have many, many sources and allies. Sorry I didn't clear that up before.**

 **Hope you enjoy.**

…

…

When Toothless drove to Hiccup's house to drop him off, Stoick's car was gone and so was the man. Honestly, Hiccup shouldn't feel relieved, but he was ashamed to say he was. But with a bright smile and a peck on the lips for Toothless, he got his stuff out of the car and went inside with his boyfriend helping him.

"Your house is still so…quiet," Toothless commented.

"Yeah, it's still lonely here," Hiccup said, flicking on the lights of the living room and setting his bag down. "That's why I like your house. It reminds me of you so much."

"Ah, so sappy," Toothless chuckled as Hiccup plopped down on the couch with a tired sigh. "Your house is nice, too. It's a bit…"

"Lonely?" Hiccup supplied. "Yeah, it's always like that."

"Hey, it gets lonely at my place, too," Toothless said, sitting beside him and pulling him close. "It's better when you're around, though. Makes it more…lively."

Hiccup smiled wide at him. "Ah, so sappy," he mocked half-heartedly. He let out a long breath. "I can't believe school starts up again next week."

"Only a few more days to go before we go back to hell."

Hiccup rolled his eyes. "Says you, you big quarterback oaf." He rubbed at his eyes. "You haven't been practicing at all over break except when Marcie dragged up outside to play basketball. Is Coach going to be mad at you?"

Toothless shook his head, slipping his head in the crook of Hiccup's neck and pressing his lips to the elegant curve. "No. Besides, he knows I have a lot more on my mind…"

Hiccup giggled at the tingling sensation. "C'mon, quit it. My dad could be home any second. Who knows where he is."

Toothless pouted against his skin. "Mood killer."

"You sure are the swooner," Hiccup laughed, then yawned loudly. "Ah, man. That ride really tuckered me out."

Toothless smiled softly, pressing a quick kiss to Hiccup's lips. "Then go to sleep."

"On the couch?"

"Yeah."

Hiccup slumped against the cushions and Toothless. "Oh, thank goodness. I would have never made it upstairs." He sighed heavily, eyes drifting closed. "Are you going to stay the night?"

Toothless threaded his fingers through his hair. "If you want me to…"

"Oh, thank goodness again," Hiccup muttered, pushing Toothless on his back and lying on top of him, kicking off his shoes lazily. "Good night."

Toothless smiled down at him, his heart warm in his chest. "Good night, Hiccup."

…

"Hiccup. _Hiccup._ "

Hiccup blinked his eyes open lazily, groaning shortly until someone shushed him. "Toothless…?"

"Hiccup, stay here."

Heart leaping to his chest, he was suddenly fully awake as Toothless crawled out from under him. He sat up as fast as a rocket, seeing the flash of urgency in Toothless' eyes. "What is it?" he whispered.

Toothless stood up quickly, pressing a finger to his lips. "Someone's trying to get in."

 _You have to be fucking kidding me,_ Hiccup thought. There went the perfect break with a start into reality. He stayed still, arms pinned to his sides as he watched Toothless creep over to the front door, every muscle tight. Hiccup almost jumped five feet in the air when the door knob began to jiggle wildly, then muffled, hushed voices came from the other side.

Toothless peeked through the hole. At first, Hiccup thought he was going to pound his fist into the door, but Toothless only got an angered look and swung open the door, hissing, "What the _fuck_ are you doing here? I was about to fucking _kill_ you!"

"Well, good morning to you, too," a female voice said. Astrid strutted in, the moonlight from outside pouring over her shoulders.

"It's _five_ in the fucking _morning_ , Astrid!" Toothless growled in a hushed voice, nearly slamming the door behind him. "It's still dark out!"

Hiccup collapsed on the couch in relief. "Jesus, you almost scared me to death…"

"Oops." Astrid placed a hand on her hip, ignoring the smoldering glare Toothless was giving her. "You need to calm down."

Toothless ran a hand through his hair, gritting his teeth. "You're so lucky I could see through the door…"

Hiccup knew if Toothless hadn't known who it was he would have lashed out before seeing. He didn't have a weapon except himself, and that was all Toothless needed, and Hiccup was a witness to that from the teaching his boyfriend had done with him. "He's right, you know. He would have killed you."

Astrid didn't take them seriously. "Yeah, okay, whatever. Look, we need to talk."

"What is it about?" Toothless grumbled, sitting back beside Hiccup in a heap of tired limbs, adrenaline wearing off. "What is so important that you had to try to break in at that crack of _dawn_?"

Astrid crossed her arms, face stoic. "It's about Collin."

Hiccup clenched his fists, and Toothless noticed. "Can this wait until later, _please_?"

"No," Astrid said firmly, tightly…nervously. Oh no. "It's not just about Collin. It's about who he was involved with." She took a deep breath that broke the sudden silence. "I think I know a few people that are in the gang, and they aren't too happy."

"And how do you know this?" Toothless asked suspiciously.

"Because they tried to get me to join," she said quietly, eyes averting. "I didn't accept, of course. The stuff their doing is…sick. Sadistic. It's disgusting."

"Why are you telling us?"

She dug her nails into her palms. "Because they don't like that their new recruit was just thrown in jail," she said. "You're the only people I can tell. Not the police. Anyone."

Toothless stood, body stiffening. "What are you talking about?"

She locked eyes with him. "If we tell the police, they will come after us." She looked between them, body seeping with anxiousness. "But you are both on the top of their list."

…

…

 **Well, shit.**

 **Sorry for the short delay. I haven't gotten much time to write with my parents on my case about grades and my other fic that is developing nicely (I'll let you know when I put it up). This came out of nowhere, but I guess it's going to get more interesting. I can't just write a normal romance fic, can I? Nope, that's not me, I guess.**

 **Anyways, I really hope you enjoyed! Reviews are appreciated!**


	28. Chapter 28

**waveringshadow: I did ;)**

 **Laonasa Enllyn Avery: A bit, yeah. Gotta keep the suspense up.**

 **Uchiha Orion: I look forward to checking it out.**

 **Hope you enjoy.**

…

…

"Hey, Gobber?" Hiccup asked as everyone began to head outside after they'd cleaned up the restaurant. Toothless stopped at the doors, wondering what he was doing.

"Yeah, lad?" Gobber questioned, glancing at him from sifting through the mail.

"Uh, promise me you won't spend too much time here alone, please?" Hiccup said, trying to keep himself from acting like he was begging. "I heard there's been some gang activity around the area."

Gobber waved him off. "Ah, you don' have to be worried 'bout me. I may be old, but I'm able to take care o' myself."

Hiccup smiled slightly. "Yeah, I know. I just want you to watch out. If you see anything suspicious, don't stay around, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, I got it." Gobber sniffed. "And your man's 'ome, too."

"Oh…thanks." Toothless took his hand, eyes gentle as they walked outside, waving to the teens that were heading home. Astrid watched them and they did the same because they all had something to keep between each other.

"Are you okay?" Toothless asked as they slipped into his car.

Hiccup nodded once. "Yeah, I'm fine," he sighed. "Just…paranoid." He looked out to Gobber through the window. "If they're looking for you and me, they must know they work there. And if they know anything about me, they know Gobber means a lot. Or maybe they'll try to go after my dad." He cringed at that. "There's no way I can say anything to him." _Not that he'd listen._

"Maybe you should at least hint at it," Toothless said softly. "I know you guys aren't on good terms, but he _is_ your dad."

Hiccup couldn't help but smile. "You give him too much credit."

Toothless shrugged. "He's my boyfriend's dad. And besides, I've never even met him."

"I hope you don't," Hiccup muttered, sinking down in his seat. "I don't even one to go home now."

Toothless put a hand over his as he started the car. "You should at least try. If you can't, you know you can come to my house."

"I know, I know, but I have a check-up appointment tomorrow for my prosthetic," Hiccup said, gazing out the window at the snow covered ground. "I'm not going to talk to him, anyway. It's easy enough since he wants nothing to do with me."

"Okay, so from what you said I don't like him," Toothless admitted. "But he's you dad. Just say hi or something. I just don't want to see you sad."

Hiccup's lip quirked and he pressed a quick peck to his cheek, which had Toothless smiling like an idiot. "I'll take that as a challenge.

…

"It's quite simple, humans are humans," Ms. Avis said, wrinkled face puckered. "But some are monsters by morals. All it takes is influence or pain." She tapped on her desk with purpose, staring at all of them with beady eyes. "That's why we have so many problems today with seclusion and hate. Many people see gender roles as a problem; transgender and gender fluid or agender. Take homophobia for instance. People hate homosexuals for no reason at all."

She locked onto Hiccup. "Hiccup Haddock for instance. You're gay, yes?"

Hiccup, taken aback, sat still as every eye turned to him. His stomach turned over itself, heat blooming to his cheeks. "I-I'm sorry…? What?"

Ms. Avis rolled her eyes. "You're _gay_ , right? Sam sex orientation is rare in Berk, and this is a chance we can't give it up. Tell me, have you ever been discriminated against?"

 _Are you_ _ **fucking**_ _kidding me?_ Hiccup thought angrily. He could feel the rage smoldering off of Toothless in the back of the room as well. "U-Um, I mean. Well, y-yes."

"What the _fuck_ is _wrong_ with you?!" Toothless spat at Ms. Avis. "Why would you just call out someone like that?!"

Ms. Avis seemed surprised at his tone. She narrowed her eyes. "Excuse me, Toothless. But this has nothing to do with you. I am only using an example for class."

Toothless stood up from his seat. "Well, Hiccup isn't an example or to be used for anything. How would you feel if I asked you 'have you ever been discriminated against for being so goddamn old?'"

Her face twisted in fury as the entire class busted out in laughter. "I'll have you know – "

" _You_ shouldn't be talking about homophobia because you're obviously a part of it," Toothless bit. He threw his hands up in the air. "And being 'respectful' and 'minding your own business' if obvious not a _part_ of your list either. And don't even look at me like that, you're the asshole."

Hiccup had to put a hand to his mouth to smother his laugher, his face bright red from Toothless standing up for him and the fact that Ms. Avis was getting cut down by a student, Toothless no less. He caught sight of Astrid holding back her laugh, too, while everyone full out giggled.

"Detention, Toothless!" Ms. Avis shouted.

A smirk trailed over Toothless' lips. "It's a real shame once I get a detention, I have the right to go inform the principal about the incident – "

"You shut up about that!" Ms. Avis yelled. The entire classroom lapsed into silence from her rude outburst. Her face was crimson with rage. "You – You can't do that! I can call out any student I desire!"

"Fine," Toothless bit out. "If you want to call out a student, then call out me. Ask me, Ms. Avis. Ask me what it's like to be gay."

If the silence could get quieter it did in that moment. Everyone held their breaths, inhaling so suddenly they almost choked. Hiccup dropped his hand out of shock, knowing Toothless hadn't planned to tell anyone in a while.

Ms. Avis's face dropped in surprise as well. "What…?"

"Come on, Ms. Avis," Toothless said, gesturing for her to continue. "Ask me. Isn't that what you wanted to do in the first place? Call out someone who's gay, a guy who likes guys. Well go ahead. _Ask_."

"What the hell man?!" John suddenly shouted, shooting up from his own seat. "You're a homo, too?!"

Toothless looked at him with some much anger in his eyes it stirred fear in the jock's stomach. "Yeah. Got a problem with it?"

John stared at him for a long time before he said, "Collin was right, then."

Astrid nudged Hiccup's leg with her own. He caught her eyes before she nodded towards John, nodding. He swallowed thickly.

"And what the hell did Collin say?"

John grinned wide. "More than I'm allowed to share. A little of it was that you were a faggot along with the bitch over there." He pointed to Hiccup. "I wasn't there for the trial. The fairy's the reason he was arrested, wasn't he?"

"Take that back," Toothless growled.

"Make me."

…

"Jesus Christ, Toothless!" Hiccup hissed angrily as they quickly walked through the hall, ignoring the questioned looks they received. It was only a matter of time before they saw John and the news would be spread. "Did you have to give him a black eye?!"

"He deserved it," Toothless growled, letting Hiccup drag him to the abandoned football field by his jacket.

"Yes he deserved it, but you shouldn't do that for me!" Hiccup snapped, pulling him up the bleachers, flicking away the snow with his stomps, anger still burning in his chest. "I don't care what anyone says about me. You got in trouble!"

"No I didn't!" Toothless barked. "It's called blackmail, Hiccup. Blackmail. They can't get me in trouble if they wanted to. He shouldn't have been calling you that!"

Hiccup turned on him. "You could have seriously hurt him."

"Oh come on, you know what I would have done if I wanted to hurt him for me," Toothless retorted.

Hiccup got up in his face, teeth bared. "I don't want you getting in trouble for me! Toothless, you just technically shouted your sexuality from the rooftops. You didn't want to tell anyone for at least a year!"

"That doesn't matter!" Toothless said, irritated.

"Yes, it does matter!" Hiccup yelled, startling Toothless. "You don't need to be hurting yourself for me! I know you wanted to keep everything a secret! And now because of _me_ , you just told everyone something you've kept hidden for so many years! And I _know_ you didn't want to do it! I-It – I just…I don't deserve – "

"NO!"

Hiccup almost leaped two feet in the air from how loud Toothless yelled. He didn't back down, but was stunned into silence for a moment as pure anger swirled in Toothless' electric green eyes. "No, Hiccup! _You_ need to get it through your head that I don't care if you don't want me to help you! That punch was coming for him. He was a bastard. No one should call you that at all, no matter what. If anything, you deserve so much more! Especially more than me!"

Hiccup stopped, tears swimming in his eyes. "Toothless – "

"Just listen!" Toothless snapped. "You are important. You mean so much to people, to _me_. And you matter to me. I don't care if you don't want me beating up people for you, but I'm going to do it, because that needed to happen. He had to be put down because _no one_ should talk to you that way. I don't care if it's the fucking _president_ , I will fight. You deserve everything!"

"Toothless," Hiccup whispered.

"Just please – " Toothless voice cracked, splitting the air. "Just…please…"

Hiccup hugged him, not only because he himself needed on but because Toothless did. At that moment, he realized how messed up they both were. But at least they were being messed up together.

Toothless started crying. And then Hiccup. When they pulled away, their eyes were red and puffy. Toothless managed to pull on a tight smile. "Thanks."

"You're welcome," Hiccup said.

And at that moment everything was okay.

…

…

 **I wasn't expecting that.**

 **I didn't think I would get in a chapter today, but here it is. I had a fight with my mom this morning and she just took away my phone and gave me back my laptop (I really don't see how logic works that way).**

 **I wanted to touch on the concept of homophobia just a bit. I honestly wasn't going to have Toothless come out until later, but it just happened. It seemed like the right time.**

 **Next chapter: something serious and something hilarious.**

 **Hope you enjoyed! Reviews are appreciated!**


	29. Chapter 29

**EagleDragon15: I know I didn't bring details in this, but gangs usually do want a woman joining. From seduction for business, fighting skills, or just flat out prostitution for their entertainment, they are wanted. It means more allies. Women are able to get many things done easier than men by flaunting what they have. And, yes, with the teacher, in real life she would get fired on the spot for saying something like that. But in my mind for this story, Berk is a more secluded area (hint the entire revulsion and hate of dragons despite the dragons not really wanting to hurt them in the first place, they were being controlled) and not open to same-sex relationships and attraction. At least, not openly. And what you want to happen between Hiccup and Stoick is…a bit spot on, really.**

 **WeirdGirl268: A lot of people have been asking, and I'm giving as decent answers as I can. But I can only say that I see this going up to forty or fifty chapters. But fifty is a stretch, though.**

 **Hope you enjoy. Thanks for all the reviews (I know I'm a bit vague)!**

…

…

Toothless growled, "Would you quit staring at me like that!"

The teenagers, minus Astrid and Hiccup, who hadn't been looking his way, all turned, scrubbing furiously at their tables they were trying to clean.

Ruffnut took that moment to float over to Toothless, a large – more mysterious than anything – smile stretched on her face. Tossing her rag into the bucket, she moved next to Toothless, hopping onto the table he'd been cleaning. "So…if you're gay, you're not attracted to me at all?"

Tuffnut choked and Snotlout snorted, not being able to help himself. Hiccup sputtered in place, dropping his own rag to the floor and scrabbling to pick it back up.

"I mean…so you like guys? Completely?" she asked curiously, leaning towards him, batting her eyelashes. Toothless leaned away, scowling.

"Yes, Ruffnut," he said. "I like guys. Are you going to try to do that stereotypical thing where you try to get me attracted to you?"

She rolled her eyes. "No. Just curious." Her smile found her lips again. "So, do you, like, find every guy attractive?"

He sighed. "That's a question you should ask yourself."

She pursed her lips. "Ah. I see your point." She tapped her chin. "So…you find Hiccup attractive and not my brother?"

Astrid burst out laughing with Snotlout and Hiccup's face turned bright red while Fishlegs cupped his mouth to keep himself from laughing. Tuffnut cried out, as if he was in pain.

Toothless only sighed again. "No, Ruffnut. I _don't_ find your brother attractive."

"So you find Hiccup attractive?"

"You can't be stupid enough to not realize – " He took in a breath. "Never mind. You can be."

Hiccup came around next to Toothless, nudging her off the counter. "Would you stop it?"

"Oh, getting jealous, are we?" she mocked jokingly. "Afraid I'm going to steal your boyfriend?"

"As a matter of fact, no," Hiccup said, glaring. "You're being annoying."

She held up her arms in surrender. "Hey, ouch. I didn't mean anything by it."

"She's definitely more annoying than me," Tuffnut laughed, forgetting about his few-second embarrassment. "Always has been."

"That's a lie," Ruffnut denied. "I – "

"Anyways," Snotlout cut in, not wanting to hear the twins go off on one of their infamous tangents, "you guys are coming to the get-together this Saturday, right?"

"I am," Astrid and Ruffnut said. Tuffnut agreed.

"I think I am," Fishlegs said. "It seems like it's going to be fun."

"What about you guys?" Ruffnut asked.

"Uh…I'm not big about parties," Hiccup said shortly, plopping down on the table once he finished.

"Same," Toothless hummed. "It's always too crowded."

"We're only having a few people come," Snotlout said. "Just some of the jocks and girls."

"Ugh, not any of the cheerleaders, right?" Astrid groaned.

"Yeah, I don't want to deal with cheerleaders," Ruffnut said.

Snotlout rolled his eyes, shaking his head. " _No_. No cheerleaders are coming. We made sure none of them knew about it."

"Only _nice_ people are coming," Astrid said, meeting eyes with Hiccup. "I made sure of it."

"I don't know…" Hiccup started.

"Oh, come on!" Ruffnut exclaimed, exasperated, waving wildly to nothing in particular in the dimly lit area. "It'll be fun!"

"And…where is the party exactly?" Toothless asked slowly.

"We're renting out a suite in the hotel downtown," Snotlout said. "I swear on my life there will be no trouble. No weirdos, no anti-gays, no…"

 _Collins,_ Hiccup thought sourly.

"Look," he continued. "I want you to at least go to this one with me. These guys are actually nice and open-minded."

"To gays," Toothless said blandly.

"Uh, yeah."

Toothless and Hiccup exchanged looks. "No trouble?"

"Nope."

"No homophobes?"

"Nope."

Toothless shrugged. "A party wouldn't hurt. You want to go?"

Hiccup bit his lip. "I guess so…"

…

"Hey, man."

Toothless closed his gym locker, looking over to Adam, a left-fielder on the team. Cocking his head to the side, he asked, "Yeah? What do you need?"

Adam ran through his damp hair from just getting out of the shower. "I just want to say…just because your gay doesn't really bother me or anything."

Toothless raised a brow. "Really?"

"Uh, yeah," he said. "I mean, it's different. Not weird or anything, but different." He sighed. "I just want to say, you're still my team-mate and that still makes you my friend."

Toothless looked at him emotionless for a moment before cracking a small smile. "Thanks, dude. You're the only one who's come up to say that to me so far."

"Um, I want to add to that," said another jock, Nathan. "It really doesn't bother me, either. You do you."

"I agree," said another, Conner. "It's you, I mean. It just doesn't change anything really."

Many of the other jocks made noises of agreement while some other turned away. Toothless couldn't help but let a small smile onto his face. "Thanks, guys. Really." He looked away. Hiccup said it was completely okay. "And, by the way, I'm dating Hiccup."

He expected a silence. But the jocks that had been supportive cried out, "What?!"

"How did we not notice?" Adam said, puzzled.

"Probably 'cause you're always trying to hit on Astrid," Conner said.

Toothless rolled his eyes. It would be okay.

…

"Hey, babe?"

Hiccup raised his eyebrows so high he'd thought they'd slide off his face. He watched Toothless walk into the room, book in hand, eyes glued to the words. Before he could say anything, Toothless stubbed his toe into his bookshelf. He immediately dropped his book, calling, "Fuck!" Then he looked at his book lying on the ground, almost forgetting about the pain. "Oh man, my book."

"What did you just say?" Hiccup asked.

Toothless plopped down on the ground, pouting at his throbbing toe. "Oh man, my book."

"No, no, before that."

"Fuck?"

"Before that."

"I said hey."

"No, _after_ that."

Toothless looked at him curiously. "Did I say something else?"

Hiccup couldn't help the smile on his face from Toothless' confusion. "Toothless, you called me 'babe,'"

"What? No I didn't."

"Yeah, you did."

Toothless looked at him for a long time, his face turning red before he started apologizing profusely over and over again in a flurry of words spilling off his tongue. Hiccup burst out laughing.

"Toothless, you don't have to apologize," he laughed. "It's okay! Really."

Toothless ran a hand through his hair. "Sorry," he mumbled.

"I don't care if you call me that," he chuckled. "Just don't call me something like 'cupcake' or love-dovey names like that. It makes me want to throw up."

The red disappeared from Toothless' face as a mischievous smile lit up his lips. "Okay, sugar-dumpling."

Hiccup groaned.

"How about 'honey-muffin'? Oh, wait, no, 'candy-lips' is better."

Hiccup got up from the bed and walked over to him, giving him a long, lingering kiss on the lips that had Toothless' mind spinning. "Yeah, no."

"Just babe?" Toothless questioned.

Hiccup smiled. "Just babe."

"Oh, thank goodness. I was about to run out of ideas."

Hiccup laughed and kissed him again.

…

…

 **Yeah, true story, a guy tried to hit on my friend by calling her 'candy-lips'. We nearly threw up right then and there.**

 **I know I didn't touch much on the main plot in this chapter, though there are some little tid-bits if you didn't miss them. I'm pretty sure this is the longest chapter in a while, and I was going to add more because I had a short idea that I've been keeping, but I knew something had to happen first. Yeah, you guessed it, it has to do with Astrid and Marcie. Or maybe you didn't guess it. Just look out for it. It's coming up soon.**

 **I've been in a rather bad mood lately because I told my mom that I'm a fan of Miley Cyrus now. With all the charities she's been donating to and her Happy Hippie foundation for the poor and homeless people along with support on the LGBTQ community. My mom still thinks she's complete trash. I told her she's gender-fluid and she said, "So, technically, bisexual." I told her no, gender-fluid isn't bisexuality and that's she feels like she doesn't have a gender preference. And still she was like, "So, bisexual." And if you read my notes from my other chapters, I am a bisexual individual and it made me really angry to say that because she said it in that tone where she was making fun of her (and the fact that bisexuality is where you are attracted to both guys and girls; it has nothing to do with not having a gender preference for yourself). This is also a reason why I haven't come out to my family. I don't know if this interests you guys, but it just really pissed me off and I wanted to share because no one else knows about my sexuality and when I told them the story they didn't really understand how mad I was.**


	30. Chapter 30

**Oh my god. I'm so sorry. The wifi went down in my house earlier this week and just fifteen minutes ago we installed a new wifi. It was hell. I sound like such a whiny teenager, but the worst part was not being able to upload chapters. I wrote this and am already half way through the next, and it drove me absolutely** _ **crazy**_ **knowing I wouldn't be able to upload. Again, I'm so sorry. I really hope this won't happen again.**

 **DJS: I'm really not sure. I think I can** _ **probably**_ **get up to fifty chapters, but like I said, I write what flows, so it's hard to tell. But I think maybe I can get it to fifty. We'll see.**

 **Guest: Yes, I am really 14 years old. I know it's hard to believe for some people, but it's true.**

 **waveringshadow: Thanks**

Hope you enjoy.

…

…

"I've been wanting to speak to ya, lad," Gobber said to Toothless as he led them to the back room away from Hiccup who was taking an order for a family. Toothless stayed silent, wondering what Gobber wanted to really talk about. "I know it's not been totally clear, but I just want ta confirm you are in a relationship with Hiccup."

Toothless folded his arms, nodding. "Yes, sir. I am."

Gobber sighed, running a hand down his long, gangly beard. "It's 'bout time. He's liked ya ever since you two met."

A smile graced Toothless' lips as a giddy feeling built up in his chest. Of course, he didn't show it. "Really?"

Gobber nodded. "I always wondered if he would be able to find someone who appreciated him for who he really is." He looked away. "He's had a 'ard and shitty life so far, and I know you've really brought him back."

"I promise you I will never hurt him," Toothless said. "I will protect him with my life. I love him, sir. Is that…okay with you?"

Gobber ran a hand over his face. "It's perfectly okay wit' me. I'm sorry I don't look too thrilled. You know, it's always supposed to be the father to hear this. But Stoick isn't really…around. And, honestly, it's for the best. Don't tell Hiccup I said tha'."

"I promise."

Gobber locked eyes with him. "I know you've promised so many times in a matter of a few seconds, but there's one more thing I need you to promise."

Toothless nodded. "Yes?"

"Do not even try to meet Stoick. Don't talk to Hiccup 'bout ever meeting him. Don't ever try to talk, to see, to interact, anything." Gobber cleared his throat. "If you do and he finds out Hiccup's gay, shit will hit the fan."

Toothless shuffled in place, nodding after a moment. "You have my word." And he meant it. "I promise."

…

That Saturday, the party was after the football game, which Berk High won, like usual. After the few players that were invited showered, they loaded up in the vans and drove to the hotel. Snotlout argued Toothless the day before about taking Hiccup, saying it would be longer if Toothless went to Hiccup's house to get him. And the fact Stoick was home, to which Hiccup told him he was going to Snotlout's to go out to dinner and spend the night with some friends, which wasn't much of a lie.

So Snotlout drove Hiccup while Astrid drove the other teens, much to her annoyance.

"Why did you want us to drive alone?" Hiccup asked as Snotlout turned onto another street.

Snotlout tapped his fingers against the steering wheel. "I wanted to…talk."

"You?" _Talk?_ "

Snotlout rolled his eyes. "Yes. Well, I'm trying to. But you're discouraging me."

"Okay, okay, go," Hiccup chuckled.

He took in a deep breath. "I just want to say…I'm glad you're with Toothless."

Hiccup gave him an unimpressed look. "Oh? You figured it out?"

"It's kind of hard not to," he said. "It's so obvious. You guys do that eye thing and are always sneaking around. Anyways, I'm telling you that I approve."

"I don't need your permission," Hiccup said.

"Yeah, yeah, I know," he sighed. "But I'm saying I approve. Toothless is a great guy. He's always been true to himself and what he says and does. I don't have enough fingers to count how many times he's stood up for the players when Collin criticizes them for something stupid. And, you know whenever he talks about you or says your name, he gets really happy. Like, his face brightens up and he actually _smiles_ for _real._ "

Hiccup couldn't help but smile. Snotlout pointed a finger at him. "That! That's what he does. It's real. You guys are really happy being together." He grunted. "But if he breaks your heart, I'm going to punch him so hard he won't remember what year it is. Though…I doubt he ever will." He laughed. "He's a bit whipped; you have him wrapped around your finger. He looks at you like a love sick puppy."

Hiccup hid his grin with his hand. "Seriously? I thought I was the one who did that."

"No. _Both_ of you do. It's confusing." Snotlout turned onto another street. "I know I treated you like shit for a while, and there's a reason why I did that, but I'm sorry for it, okay. Really."

"I've already forgiven you."

Snotlout ran his hands through his hair. "Thanks, man. I know what happened when you were seven really…well, it messed you up, but I wasn't making it any better."

Hiccup bit his lip, glancing out his window. "Was someone blackmailing you?"

There was a tense silence. "Yes." A heavy sigh. "I accidentally – "

"Look, I don't want to hear what you did," Hiccup said. "I don't care. You were being blackmailed. It wasn't your fault at all, so don't blame yourself. I'm just glad I got to, you know, help."

"Oh Jesus," Snotlout muttered. "Don't say that, it makes me feel worse."

"Oh…sorry." Hiccup let out a breath. Then he laughed. "It's funny. We know so much about each other, yet we know absolutely nothing. I don't know what Spitelout does to you."

"And I don't know what Stoick does to you. Or what that gang made you do."

"But we understand each other," Hiccup said. "It's almost like Toothless and I. But we're weirder."

Snotlout laughed loudly. "I get you, cousin. Just have fun tonight, okay? I invited good people."

"I will."

…

When everyone got to the hotel, they went in. It was a nice hotel with red padded floors and spotless furniture. There were a few families hanging by the flat screen TV's, but otherwise, it was completely empty.

"Oh, and by the way," Snotlout said as they checked in. "We rented out the entire top floor."

"Jesus, this is going to end well," Astrid muttered.

"Goddamn it, let's go!" Tuffnut cried, earning some snaps from parents. He took off, waving a key in his hand.

They all headed upstairs. They made their way down the hallway, the sound of teenagers getting louder. Toothless slipped his arm around Hiccup's waist, still a bit unnerved about being at a party that could quickly go bad. Hiccup looked at him reassuringly, having complete trust in his cousin.

They entered the suite. It was huge with dark couches and rich wood stairs to the top level. A granite filled kitchen had a beer keg set on it. There was a large coffee table in between the circle of couches that had obviously been moved to the teens liking. Vodka and whiskey bottle were scattered with shot glasses in everyone's hand.

"Oh Jesus," Hiccup mumbled, remembering the last time he got drunk. He was a light weight and could barely handle two beers, and he had learned that the hard way.

Snotlout looked at him sheepishly. "Oh yeah, I must have forgotten to tell you."

He shot him a sharp look. The people were cheering others on; chanting at them while they battled in some game that had them taking shots like there was no tomorrow. Hiccup realized there was no music, and it didn't seem like there was a need for it because the atmosphere was light, free. He could already feel the tingle of excitement in his stomach.

One of the people must have won, because everyone started shouting in delight, cheering. Then they all noticed them and called even louder for them to gather around. Toothless, feeling the joy in the air, pulled Hiccup forward with him as they sat on the ground in front of the table. Hiccup recognized the girl sitting next to him, Cath. She was really nice and even helped him in biology last year when he couldn't get a few questions on a project, even when he was the most bullied kid in the school she acted like he was normal.

He glanced at Toothless, who was also looking at the people. There were a few football players that slapped him on the back, laughing. He knew them since they were popular. There was Adam, who he had to admit was attractive with his tanned skin and charming smile, but nowhere near Toothless. Then there was Conner and Nathan and a cocoa skinned jock, Mac. Some of the people there he'd seen around school but never talked to.

Then the drinks came.

And for two hours they finally eased into everything, laughing and joking and cheering on people who played beer pong. Both of them could feel the buzz in their stomachs from the alcohol and their minds getting a bit muddled, and most could tell from the way they got comfortable and sat with each other close, whispering to each other and giggling like idiots. At some point, someone slid away the coffee table so everyone could gather up closer and easily hand the drinks to one another.

"Wait, wait, wait!" Cath cried, swinging her drink so she could get everyone to pay attention. "I know! Let's play Truth or Dare!"

"Yes!" Ruffnut shouted, plopping next to her brother, obviously drunk off her mind. "I love this game!"

It took a few minutes to find out who was going first with everyone slurring and laughing just because they were living in the moment. Snotlout volunteered.

"Okay!" he said, taking a swig from his beer. "I choose…Astrid!" Astrid laughed, drinking her spiked Redbull, cheeks rosy from the alcohol. "Truth or dare?"

"Hmmm, I'm not falling for it. Truth," she said.

"Aw man!" Snotlout grouched. "Okay…are you a virgin?"

"Ah that's a boring one!" people said.

Astrid rolled her eyes. "No, Snotlout. I'm not a virgin. Happy?"

"Very."

Astrid rolled her eyes, smiling. "Alright, I choose Adam."

Adam's cheeks heated up, not even thinking Astrid recognized him. "Oh."

"Truth or dare?"

He tapped his chin, nearly spilling his drink. "Dare. Give me a good one."

Astrid laughed, "Confess your love to that lamp." She pointed to the tall lamp in the corner of the room that was dimply lit.

Adam took a gulp of his drink. "That's an easy one." He strided over to the lamp, hooking his arm around it and dipping it down, as if holding a person there. He choked out laughs as he said, "Lamp…I've been in love with you for years now. I've just been too scared to tell you. I was so scared. Please…love me back." He leaned forward to kiss it, but his ankle got caught in the wire and he tripped, landing on his ass. Everyone busted into a roar of laughter.

Adam scrambled up, face red, but still relaxed. He smiled and turned to Cath. "Okay, Cath. Truth or Dare."

"Ooooooooooh," Cath hummed, a devious smile on her face. "Dare."

"I dare you to kiss Astrid. On the lips."

Cath rolled her eyes. "Such boys." She leaned across the open space and pressed her lips to Astrid's in a quick peck. Both girls burst into giggles.

"At least Astrid can tell Marcie about her experience with girls," Toothless whispered amusedly in his ears, trying to keep down his laughter. Hiccup snorted loudly, whispering back to him.

"Alright…." Cath glanced all around until her eyes landed on Hiccup whispering to Toothless. The quarterback started laughing, covering up his mouth to muffle his laughter while Hiccup giggled like a madman next to him. "I choose Hiccup."

Hiccup, hearing his name, looked to her, mind mixed with so many thoughts he was just blocking them out while still chuckling. "Sorry, sorry, what did you say?"

"Truth or dare?" she questioned, taking a gulp from her drink.

"Dare," he said without thinking, still grinning.

Cath smiled wide. "You know…I've never seen two guys kiss before. I dare you to kiss Toothless."

Toothless and Hiccup looked at each other, realizing some of the people there didn't know they were dating. Toothless shrugged and Hiccup laughed, swinging them around so everyone could see and sitting in his boyfriend's lap. He pressed his lips to his in a lingering kiss. Toothless, having drunk a lot more than Hiccup, just noticing Hiccup's lips on his and nothing else, caught his lips when he pulled away and wrapped his arms around his shoulders. Hiccup laughed and kissed him harder, running his hands through Toothless' hair and closing his eyes in the euphoric sensations.

"Holy shit…" Adam breathed.

"Whoa."

"Dude," Ruffnut whispered. "I never knew Hiccup could kiss so…amazingly. Like, they're hot."

When they pulled away breathing hard, they fell over laughing at everyone's shocked expressions.

"Have you guys…done that before?" someone asked.

"They're dating, you idiots," Ruffnut said.

"Oh," Cath said simply, watching them sit back down next to each other like nothing happened. "That was actually really hot."

Toothless whispered, "Not as hot as you" in Hiccup's ear, which had Hiccup's face the same color as a tomato, nearly spitting out his drink when he took a sip, earning some confused looks.

"Let's play Spin the Bottle!" a girl shouted.

"Oh, whelp, it looks like it's time to make our leave," Hiccup said. Toothless and he hurriedly stood up, Hiccup stumbling a bit on his feet while Toothless practically held him, laughing.

It took a while, but they both made it to their room. Toothless had to put the key in while both of them cackled like maniacs, shushing each other for no reason at all because they just laughed even more. They both waddled in, hanging off each other. Toothless kicked off his shoes while Hiccup collapsed in bed, so he just took off his shoes too. Toothless fell onto the mattress next to Hiccup, pulling him close and breathing in his scent while Hiccup did the same, kissing him sloppily on the lips.

"Do you really love me?" Hiccup asked with droopy eyes.

"Yes," Toothless chuckled.

"I love you, too," Hiccup said. "I love you a lot. You make me feel like I float. Yes, like I float. Wow, this alcohol is taking over my mouth."

Toothless laughed. He reached forward and brushed Hiccup's bangs away from his eyes. "I love your eyes. They are very pretty."

"I love yours, too," Hiccup slurred. "They are really bright."

"Wow, your choice of words is making me swoon," Toothless joked.

Hiccup laughed, rolling onto his stomach so he had to peek up at Toothless through his lashes. "I think we turned Cath and Ruffnut on."

Toothless kissed him on the neck, sloppily sucking there to tease him while Hiccup giggled at the strange sensation. "We are just that hot, of course."

Hiccup laid half on Toothless and half on the bed, breathing in deeply with a lazy smile on his face. "I'm tired," he said.

"I'm about to fall asleep," Toothless agreed.

"Good night. Love you."

"Love you, too."

…

 **I was actually laughing out loud while writing this.**

 **Hope you enjoyed. Reviews are appreciated!**


	31. Chapter 31

**Laonasa Enllyn Avery** **: I believe one-hundred percent asexuality is a real thing. I have a feeling one of my old friends is asexual**

 **EagleDragon15: Don't worry, I'm getting to it**

 **Kalsifer: omg that's hilarious**

 **Hope you enjoy!**

…

…

Hiccup woke up on Toothless' chest and a pounding headache. The throb in his temples only intensified when he opened his eyes, and it took him several minutes to even think about sitting up.

"Toothless?" he mumbled. "What time is it?"

Thanking Gobber for letting him have Sunday's off whenever he felt like it, he slipped off the bed, clutching his head, and stumbled over to the bathroom, where he opened the toilet seat and threw up. At least this made him feel a bit better, but the headache didn't do anything but stay pounding behind his eyes.

Shuffling over to the sink, he opened a bottle of Tylenol and swallowed three. No, four seemed better. Toothless came in a moment later, spilling out his own guts in the toilet. Hiccup would have laughed if the situation wasn't under bad circumstances, aka, his head.

"Good morning to you, too," Hiccup said, pulling Toothless' hair from his face as his boyfriend sat back against the tub and sighed.

"Jesus Christ, I feel so much better," Toothless mumbled. He gave a reassuring smile before wincing. "Is there any Tylenol?"

"Already got you covered." Hiccup shook out four more and gave it to Toothless, who took them in thanks.

"Where do you think everyone is?" Toothless asked.

Hiccup shrugged. "Probably passed out at the suite except all the other couples that hooked up in other rooms."

Toothless grunted as he hefted himself up, quickly washing his mouth and face. Hiccup did the same and they both didn't bother on putting on new clothes, knowing wasn't even a reason to when everyone probably looked ten times as bad.

When they got to the suite, it was just as bad as they thought. People were passed out on the floor and couches and four people were lying on top of each other. If the piles of unconscious teenagers weren't enough to know shit went down, then the scattered solo cups and emptied bottles were. Hiccup spotted Snotlout snoring, draped across the back of the couch and went over, shaking his shoulder after Toothless told him he was going to look for Astrid.

"Snotlout?" Hiccup whispered. "Snotlout, wake up." Of course, the boy didn't move, just muttered something in his sleep. Hiccup rolled his eyes and used all the strength he could muster to push his cousin off the furniture.

Snotlout awoke with a shout, and Hiccup had to hold back a laugh. "Fuck, what the hell?!" he yelled, lurching up and jumping to his feet, then tipping over and swaying in place, clutching his head. "Ouch."

Thankfully, no one woke up. "Morning, Snotlout," Hiccup greeted.

Snotlout sent him a sharp look. "Are you in your right mind?"

"Actually, no." He crossed his arms. "I have a pounding headache, which is messing with my depth perception. I'm sorry; I meant to knock the couch over."

"Oh shut up, you little shit," Snotlout grunted, squinting his eyes against the nonexistent light. "God. Do you have any Tylenol?"

Hiccup handed him some. "Look, we have to get this place cleaned up. If the maids found the place like this, they'll most definitely call the cops. And I am not in the mood, _or right mind_ , to get arrested right now. So help me."

Snotlout grumbled, rubbing his eyes, and began swiping up cups from the floor, then disappearing into the kitchen to pull out a large trash bag. Astrid appeared, her hair in a messy knot on top of her head, rubbing her eyes and yawning.

"Good morning," she said, like everything was normal.

"Fuck, can you be a little quieter?" Snotlout hissed, returning in tossing cups and bottles and plates into the trash bag.

"Do you not have a headache?" Hiccup asked.

She shook her head. "I don't have hangovers."

"I'm not going to ask why."

"Don't worry, I don't get it, either," Toothless said, coming from the other room with another trash bag. "Anyway, what did you guys do when we left?"

Astrid's brows pulled together in thought. Then her eyes widened and she smacked a hand over her face. "Oh, man!"

Snotlout chuckled. "We played spin the bottle."

"A _different_ kind of spin the bottle," Astrid added harshly, angrily throwing things into the bag. "I can't believe we did that, _I_ did that."

Hiccup and Toothless exchanged looks. Hiccup said, "Actually, I don't want to know."

"Good," she said.

They all quickly got as many people as they could up. Everyone was groaning, grumbling at them to fuck off and go away. Astrid just kicked whoever said that to her and Snotlout threatened them in annoyance. After a promise for more Tylenol and Aspirin, many got up and started shuffling about.

Hiccup raised a brow. "There was a lot more people here last night. Where did they go?"

"Many of them split last night to other rooms," Snotlout said. "I'm not even going anywhere close to anywhere except the suite."

"Oh…makes sense."

…

 **I am so sorry. I've been in a serious reading and writing slump. I had just gone to Homecoming and let's just say it got wild. I've been in a pretty down mood and it's not helping my writing; I can't seem to focus much on it. Don't worry, I've had these before and I'll get out of it really soon. It's been a while since I've updated and this is literally the shortest chapter I've ever written ever in anything. So, I hope you enjoyed what there was. I promise there will be more soon, just keep in mind I'm going to be pretty busy next week. I'll tell you soon. Thank you so much!**


	32. Chapter 32

**RockStarForever: Definitely.**

 **FallingNarwhals: Thanks**

 **EagleDragon15: Um, I don't think I said anything about her hooking up with a random dude. I'm sorry if I did, I didn't mean to. There's a bit of a back story on how she's not a virgin and stuff like that, but Astrid didn't hook up with anyone that night. So sorry if I made it seem that way.**

 **DJS: They probably thought I was older ;)**

 **Okay guys, shit is going to go down in this chapter. Prepare yourself; I know two scenes are wanted for sure and have been anticipated. Hope you enjoy!**

 **Warnings: references to past child abuse, child abuse, language (just cause), a bit of violence**

…

…

At 2:33 in the morning, Hiccup Haddock's phone rang in the dead silence.

He blinked groggily, managing to reach over and pick up his phone from his desk. Squinting his eyes at the screen, he pressed answer in confusion at his boyfriend's name.

"Hiccup?" he answered, trying to clear the sleep from his voice.

" _H-Hiccup?"_

At the strain in Toothless' voice, he was suddenly fully awake, scrambling to sit up. His hand tightened on the phone. "Toothless? Are you okay?"

" _I-I…I'm f-fine…"_

"Well, obviously not," he said worriedly, pulling off the sheets in frenzy. "What's wrong? And don't act like you're fine, it's two-thirty in the morning."

" _It…is? Oh…Hiccup…?"_

"What? What is it?" he whispered, hoping to not wake his father, who was down the hall sleeping. He pulled on his sneakers, nearly toppling over.

" _Can…Can…"_ Hiccup heard the pain lacing his tone and the restrain of tears. _"Can you…come over? I…don't think I'm f-fine…"_

"Okay. Okay, I'm coming right now, alright?" Hiccup's chest clenched so hard he thought he was going to crush his lungs. "I'm on my way," he said as he went down the stairs as quiet as he could.

" _I'm…I'm not okay, Hiccup…I don't think I'm okay…"_

Hiccup didn't want to think of the possibilities Toothless could be _thinking_ much less _doing_. It was a known fact between the both of them they were fucked up in ways it would never be truly fixed, but Toothless had always been the strong one, barely showing any weakness. Of course, it took Toothless a long time to tell him what he went through in his childhood, but the details were left out, and Toothless never even hinted to a complaint. But this wasn't a complaint, this was a cry for help, and he didn't know exactly what the cry for help lead to.

He drove like a bat out of hell, reaching Toothless' house in a matter of two minutes (a new record) and flew his door open, clambering up the stairs on his prosthetic, and running into Toothless' room. He immediately saw Toothless' form curled up at the head of the bed, pressed to the wall, arms around knees. But his boyfriend jumped when he came in, but saw him, and looked down again.

"Toothless…" Hiccup rushed over to him, lifting his chin up from where his head was bowed and checking him for any self-inflicted injuries. After checking his neck, wrists, and face, he decided that he was fine since there were no blood. Toothless started making a keening noise at him, like he was so pained he couldn't even voice it, and Hiccup felt the worry build up in his chest again.

He did the only thing Toothless had done to him so many times: he crawled onto the bed next to him, wrapping his wiry arms around him as much as he could and started whispering reassuring things into his ear. Almost immediately Toothless was sobbing like a child into his chest, arms clutching around his waist like a lifeline.

"It'll be okay," Hiccup whispered. "It's okay…I'm right here. No one's coming. You're fine. It's all okay. You're completely safe. They aren't coming…"

"I'm sorry," Toothless sobbed, chest puffing with heaving breaths. "I-I d-didn't mean…to – to scare you. I h…had a n-nightmare, and it was all so real, I thought…they were coming back again."

"They aren't coming back," Hiccup assured. "They will never come back. You're safe, they will _never_ hurt you again, I promise."

"I…I know…"

It took several minutes before Toothless was reduced to sniffles and hitching inhales. Hiccup didn't – couldn't – stop hugging him for all he was worth. Even when Toothless looked up at him as if he was trying to pull away, he didn't loosen his arms.

"Are you going to let me go?" Toothless joked in a thick voice with a raw throat.

"I think…you gave me an aneurism," Hiccup whispered, feeling his heart finally start to calm down from the overwhelming shock he'd felt. "You just have me a heart attack."

Toothless looked over to window, cheek still buried into his scrawny chest. "Sorry."

"Don't say sorry. It's not your fault."

Toothless tightened his arms around him. "I know."

"How many nightmares have you had this month?" Hiccup asked.

Toothless rubbed at his eyes, finally feeling his exhaustion come back. "About three. But this one was a flash back. A night terror, I guess. I used to get those all the time."

Hiccup bit his lip. "Yeah… I know. I did, too." He threaded his fingers through Toothless' hair, looking down at his face. "I think my dad heard me run out of the house," he said.

"I'm – "

"Don't say you're sorry."

Toothless managed a small smile on his tear-stained face. "I'm starting to sound like you when we first met."

"Touché," he answered, settling into the mattress. "Do you want me to stay?"

"Of course I do," Toothless mumbled, breathing in deeply. "But you have to go back home. If your dad heard you, then you might get in a lot of trouble. This is technically considered sneaking out, you know. Parents aren't usually very happy when their teenagers do that if I recall."

"I know," Hiccup sighed. "I'll just say there was an emergency at a friend's. I can make something up pretty quick."

A comfortable silence settled over them before Toothless said, "Thank you."

"Anytime," Hiccup said. "I think I needed that heart attack. Keeps me young."

Toothless chuckled. "I love your humor. Even in the situation, you manage to find something to use sarcasm with."

"I should say the same for you," Hiccup said, watching Toothless' eyes droop a little bit before opening to look at him, and then drooping again. "I'm going to go home after you fall asleep, okay. Just call me if you have another nightmare, I'll be awake."

"Okay…love you…" Toothless mumbled, feeling sleep slowly begin to take him over.

"Love you, too," Hiccup chuckled, watching his boyfriend begin to drift off. It was a peaceful sight.

…

When Hiccup got home, he opened the door and almost ran into his dad standing there, obviously waiting for him.

He cringed at the deep scowl and large crossed arms. "Uh, hi, dad."

"Hiccup, where on _earth_ have you been?"

"Well…" he started. "You see, there – "

"I wake up in the middle of the night and come downstairs for a drink of water, and then all I hear is you making the loudest racket anyone in Jersey could hear," he father snapped, scowl deepening even more. "And then you run out of the house like it is set on fire. What the hell were you thinking?"

"There was an emergency," Hiccup said nervously, avoiding eye contact, not even used to his father even speaking to him. It wasn't like it was the _first_ time he'd snuck out, then again, his father hadn't been home when he had. So that was most likely it. No matter how much his dad seemed to hate him, he would still be mad like any other parent at their child sneaking out. Typical. "My friend needed my help."

"It doesn't matter if your friend needed help," Stoick snapped. "What matters is that you snuck out."

Hiccup felt anger begin to bubble in his stomach. His dad knew nothing about _him_ much less _Toothless_. And saying that it didn't matter if someone, especially his boyfriend, needed help and it didn't matter because he broke one mere rule hurt him more than anything would. Fists clenching, he stared hard down at the floor. "Don't you dare say that about _anyone_?"

"It's not my business, and a petty friend doesn't need you to give them 'help,'" his father said. "It all comes down to a matter of morals, Hicca'. I don't care about who this friend of yours it, but they obviously shouldn't be a part of your life if they are influencing you to sneak out to see them." Stoick suddenly snorted. "Is it a girlfriend or somethin'? That would just be ridiculous."

"And you know nothing about them!" Hiccup snapped. "You shouldn't be saying stuff about someone you don't know. You don't know what they're going through!"

"Because I don't give a _shit_. Hiccup, you _snuck out_." Stoick grunted. "I thought it would be self-explanatory."

"How about you get it through your thick, dim-witted skull that it's as much of my business as it is there's!" Hiccup hissed. "You have no say in anything. I don't care what you – "

Stoick grabbed his wrist as he tried to brush past him to get to the stairs. "You – "

"And not only you know nothing about them, you know nothing about _me_!" Hiccup snapped. "I don't care what you say because it means nothing. You don't know what I have – "

"What the hell are you talking about?" Stoick sneered, tightening his hold on his wrist. "I have given you the most normal life I could have ever gotten you. You should at least be grateful – "

"Grateful for what?" Hiccup barked, eyes burning. "Grateful that my life is hell? Grateful I have a fucking _fake leg_? Grateful for mom being _dead_ and _you_ being dead _to me_? Nothing about that is to be grateful for!"

Stoick glared hard at him. "What are you – "

Hiccup yanked away his arm from Stoick's grip. "I can never forgive you! Y-You left me!"

"You know I have work, Hiccup!" Stoick said irritably, completely confused about the tears spilling out on his son's cheeks. "You're sixteen years old, almost seventeen; you can take care of yourself!"

"I couldn't take care of myself when you left me after mom died! And those guys who came and – " Hiccup stopped short. Then, in horror, he snapped his mouth shut, and pushed past his father.

Stoick looked at him, befuddled. "Hiccup," he started, "what are you talking about?"

"Nothing," Hiccup said gruffly. He grabbed his phone from the kitchen counter, Stoick following right on his heels, spitting out questions. "Nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing!" he kept repeating over and over, clutching at his ears, eyes wide and panicked.

"What are you talking about?" Stoick demanded. "Where the fuck are you going?"

"To my friend's place!" Hiccup shouted in his father's face. "Why would you care anyway?" His voice cracked and he sniffled, not even trying to compose himself. "You left me here to die! The only person who cares is Toothless!"

"I never left you to die!" Stoick rounded right back. "I honestly have no idea what're talking about! And who is this Toothless? What kind of name is tha'?"

"You're not listening to me!" Hiccup paced in front of the door, taking deep breathes to calm himself down, which only resulting in him to cry harder. Sobs built up in his throat. "You just _left_ me – "

"You can't leave in the middle of a discussion!" Stoick said. "I don't know who this guy is, and I don't want my only son to turn out like some thug or druggie or using a fake name, like _Toothless_. You – "

"That's what you're worried about?" Hiccup said hysterically. He ran his hand through his hair, tugging at his scalp. "If you were here, you would know who he is! He's not a goddamn druggie or a thug or some serial killer, he's the sweetest guy ever and I love – "

Hiccup stopped short, and tense silence settled over them. Hiccup backed up, numbness spreading through his body, along with pure fear. Multiple emotions crossed over Stoick's face. First was confusion, then dumbfound, then anger, then complete boiling rage.

"Oh, no!" Stoick shouted, his voice echoing throughout the entire house. "You did not just say – fuck no! I already deal with a disappointment as a son, I will NOT deal with a FAGGOT! Not in my house!"

Pain casted over Hiccup's face as a fist slammed into his cheek. He was tossed to the side, and his chin knocked onto the banister. Spots exploded over his eyes, and his leg twisted too fast inside his prosthetic, leaving stinging pain to stab up his thigh like a thousand knives. He cried out, but only for a short moment. Stoick thumped against his shoulder, pushing him over to his back. He bit his tongue to stop a scream of pain as his leg strained. He went with his first instinct and curled into a ball. But his father's large hand curled around his arm and yanked him up, nearly pulling out his shoulder from his socket. The door swung open and the edge knocked into his temple. Something wet dribbled down his face.

He was pushed out into the patio, and he fell, the stone scraping against his knees and elbows. He yelped, clutching at his leg. Hot, icy sparks struck up his thigh and upper calf. A sob ripped through his chest as anguish swam over him.

He began to cry, more hysterically than before. Bangs came from inside his house and glass was being shattered. He laid there, his body heaving with sobs and strangled coughing. It felt like hours later – and it probably was – when he finally regressed to sniffling and hiccups.

He braced himself on wobbling arms, but his head throbbed and the phantom pains got too much. He started sobbing again, but calmed himself down before he couldn't control himself. He reached his arms back, wincing, and pulled out his phone. It rang once.

" _Hiccup?"_ a sleepy voice asked. _"Are you okay? Did I miss my alarm?"_

Hiccup started crying once again. "N-No." He groaned. "C-Can you p…please come p-pick me up? Please?"

There was instant rapid shuffling. _"Oh my God,_ _ **oh my God**_ _. Are you hurt? I-I'm coming right now. I promise. Don't hang up the phone. Okay?"_

"O-Okay."

…

…

 **And that, ladies and gentleman, was hard as fuck. I finally got back into the writing mood (thank goodness), and I have a story for you all.**

 **If you have read this fanfiction and maybe some of my other fics, you probably know well that I have a pretty serious potty mouth. This also transfers over to my texting, but I do not, and would never, use it to insult people. It's more like how I put emphasis on certain words, even in real life. It's just a habit. I'm a teenager, okay? Teenagers do that. And most of my family swears, so it's immensely normal for me.**

 **This guy that I've known for my entire life if a total jackass and his jackassness has even escalated the past two years, and definitely the past three months. My sister had enough of him calling me names and insulting me directly and indirectly for petty things, calling me names and just plain out trying to hurt me. She went on my phone and started cussing him out a bit, and I influenced her because I was hurt and angry. The boy, this** _ **coward**_ **, must have snitched on me to his parents, because I get a text on his phone (mind you, this is all on a group message with two other kids from the neighborhood and one of my close friends) from his** _ **father**_ **, saying "the way you talk is ridiculous and it needs to stop, I will be discussing this with your parents."**

 **I was like, wtf, and went straight to my parents. My mom was a bit mad at first because my sister had said fuck at one point, but we were downright screaming in anger on all the things he's said to me and his friends. We know he deletes his messages because I have cold, hard proof of him cursing badly. His parents are like all "CHURCH, YAY!" (Not that I have anything against that, they are just against cursing) and literally haven't cut the umbilical chord on either of their children. My mom immediately went to "wtf is wrong with him" and my dad turned into a downright preacher, saying I was a strong, independent person and didn't have to deal with this bullshit. And, three days later, his father hasn't talked or even tried to contact my parents at all.**

 **It's just, the annoying and awkward part is he has lived across the street from me since we were babies. I've hated him ever since I've known him. This pushed me over the edge. He's really smug and slimy about his little daddy texting me. If he, or his father, doesn't want to hear what I text and what I have to say about anything, he can just leave the text. I just don't understand.**

 **And I have another major announcement.**

 **This Saturday, I will be going to Japan for two weeks to visit and vaca with family friends. Yes, I will be bringing my laptop. No, I** **do not** **know how much I will be updating. I'm back into my writing, but with everything going on (I've never been to Japan before), I'm not sure how much time – if any time at all – I will get to update. We will see. I will at least try to update once or twice, but don't hold me to that. If I get any time before Saturday, I** _ **will**_ **post a new chapter. I'm so sorry, I** _ **will**_ **try to make time. I've been so excited. But I will** _ **try**_ **, I promise.**


	33. Chapter 33

**anime-queen46: That's…really cute, actually.**

 **Warnings: Blood, mentions of violence, mentions of child abuse**

 **Hope you enjoy!**

…

…

It wasn't the blood that had Toothless almost in a full-fledged panic attack.

Hiccup was lying in the road, small smeared trails of blood that went from the patio of his house to where he was, creating spots of crimson in the melting snow. It was so dark outside with the clouds covering the moon, the headlights of his car only lighting up the form on the asphalt.

The panic that had his heart jumping into his throat became even worse, hands shaking and eyes wide. He had to slam on the breaks to even stop, skidding to a halt and jumping out of his car and running over to Hiccup, nearly tripping over his feet several times. Hiccup's eyes were wide open and the phone was clutched in his hand. He was in obvious shock, staring into nothing while blood dribbled down his right cheek from his temple.

"Hiccup," he said tensely, slipping a hand as gently as he could under his head. Hiccup flinched, but looked at him.

"Toothless," he whispered.

"Shit," Toothless said, sliding his arms under his back and the crooks of his knees, trying to keep from shaking. "Hiccup, look at me, okay? You're in shock. Just…just try not to move, we're going to get you somewhere safe."

Hiccup stared at him while he picked him up, his face twisting in pain. But he didn't say anything as Toothless rushed to his car, using all his concentration to open the door while not shifting too much. Hiccup stayed still as he set him in the passenger seat. Toothless only glanced at the house, somehow managing to stow away the most smoldering rage he'd ever felt in his life at bay before he would do something stupid. He pushed away the tears, not wanting to cry twice in one night or show any weakness that might freak his boyfriend out.

He went the first place that popped into his head.

…

"Astrid!" Toothless screamed desperately, pounding his fist into the door and cradling Hiccup in his arm. "Astrid, open up! Now! Please!"

A groggy Astrid opened the door, eyes blinking blearily. "Toothless, what the hell? What are you – " Her eyes caught sight of what he was holding. She almost shrieked, losing her footing for a moment before grabbing at Toothless' shoulders and shoving him inside, slamming the door behind them.

"What the _fuck_ happened?" she hissed, rushing to the bathroom while Toothless stayed at her heel.

"It's not what, it's _who_ ," Toothless said, pushing past her and setting Hiccup upright on the side of the tub. Hiccup swayed a moment, still staring out into nothing.

"Whatever." Astrid knelt down with a damp washcloth, moving away Hiccup's hair from his eyes and slowly dabbing at the blood on his temple. "You're so lucky my parents are gone for the week. God, what did he hit? It's a clean cut!"

"I don't know." Toothless kneeled down next to her, cupping Hiccup's cheek. "Hiccup. Hiccup, look at me." Hiccup's eyes flicked up to his. "Does anywhere else hurt? There's too much blood and I can't really see – "

"M-My leg," Hiccup groaned, snapping out of the stupor he was in as the pain finally began to settle in with him. He yelped, pushing down on his thigh as hard as he could to try to numb the knives driving through his muscles. "God. Toothless…it hurts. I-It hurts - !"

"Hold on," Toothless said. "Hold on. I'm going to look okay? Be strong, it's going to hurt a bit."

Toothless slowly rode up Hiccup's pant leg. The boy clawed at the edge of the tub, hissing through his teeth as the very fibers seemed to drag against his skin. Toothless mumbled encouraging words, managing to pull the edge over his knee.

"Oh my god," Astrid breathed, and Toothless swore he could feel the shock rolling off her. "Oh _god_. What the fuck? Where is his _leg_? Toothless, his leg is gone – "

"I think I know that!" Toothless barked, popping off the clip of the prosthetic, putting the contraption to the side as Hiccup seemed to sigh at the relief of some of the pain. The skin was rubbed raw and the stub had obviously been twisted into the wrong place from the strong marks that showed beside the thick scars.

Astrid finished by swiping off the rest of the blood off his face, taping a large bandage over the gash. She stared at his leg for a long time as Toothless began to pick his boyfriend up. "Wait," she said. "Shouldn't we do something for his leg?" She pointed to the raw marks.

"The best thing to do is let them breathe," he said. "It's going to be a while until he can wear his prosthetic again. He just got a new one, but the padding is still going to irritate his skin." He carried Hiccup bridle style as the smaller boy's arms wrapped around his neck. Astrid silently led them to the spare bedroom at the end of the hallway.

"Where's Snotlout?" she asked as he set Hiccup down.

"I don't know," he answered. "Hiccup called me about ten minutes ago to come get him. There was…a lot of yelling going on inside the house. It was definitely his dad."

Astrid looked sick. "Oh god."

Toothless opened his mouth to say something else, but stopped himself short as Hiccup wrapped his arms around his legs. He slid down next to him, ignoring the angry bruises on his boyfriend's wrists. Astrid seemed to take the hint as she left the room not a minute later, saying she was calling Snotlout in the morning.

Toothless watched as Hiccup's eyes drifted closed. He held him close. And, for the first time in years, Toothless cried for the second time in one night.

…

"It seems we didn't have to drive them out," a man said. "Someone already unknowingly did our job for us."

"Sneaky bastard," another said, curling his hand around the hilt of his wooden bat. "Reminds me of my neighborhood when I was running around and causing havoc."

"You _still_ cause havoc."

"Would you two shut up?" a black-haired man snapped, flicking his eyes over to where they sat on the roof of the car. He breathed in the musty air of the warehouse. "The little fag got Collin sent behind bars and I personally want him."

"Alvin, you want everything."

"You better watch what you say, maggot," he sneered back, startling the man into feared silence.

"Boss, I don't get it," a scraggly teenager said, confused. "We already got plenty of tarts. Why do we need another one?"

He grunted. "Because, he's not a tart, you see. Ben already got his records from the station. He's definitely not innocent, been broken in already." He flicked his fingers thoughtfully. "Collin had his eye on him. And when my second-in-command has his eye on someone, they've got to be good."

"But a _guy_?" another man stressed.

A boy snickered. "You're obviously new."

"Have you seen him?" the teenager said amusedly. "Looks like a girl to me."

"Probably why that quarterback is dating him," another snorted. "That guy can't be gay. Have you seen him at school? He's got all the chicks hanging off him. Or at least they try to."

"You heard him in class," the teen said. "Willing to stand up for the fairy? And come out to everyone at the same time?"

"It's obvious who's getting the goods," one chuckled. "I call dibs on the elf, too. We're not actually going to keep the quarterback?"

"That's up for me to decide," he said, flicking away a cigarette that hung to close to his nose. "The little one is going up on the shop for all of us. Who knows, the other one can be useful to us too."

"When do we get them?"

"Soon."

…

…

 **I went there.**

 **Okay, so I've decided, I am going to write on the plane. Not on my laptop, but on paper so I can get the next chapter all sorted out and ready to type so I can get it updated faster. I doubt I'm going to get a chapter before I leave, but I will be working on them. Even I'm mad that this is a cliffhanger. It's kind of strange sometimes to go back and read what I wrote because I can get so lost in the story and realize I actually wrote that and get really confused.**

 **I have another story time for all those who read what I say down here. So today the bell rang for science and this guy that sits across from me and he hands me a folded up piece of paper. Honestly, I thought it was something that had to do with science. He's super nice and I would definitely be failing science without his help. He was like "Don't punch me. Let me run for it" and he ran out of the classroom. I didn't process what he said until I got in eighth period and opened it, expecting to see some old test or something. Nope. Nope. It was a love letter. I stared at it for a long time and I'm ashamed to say I started laughing I was so hysterical. Mostly because I honestly believe there is no way that anyone could ever had a crush on me as sad as it sounds. The thing was I wasn't into him at all and I didn't seem him any more than a friend. We have a lot in common, but I'd never even** _ **thought**_ **about that.**

 **So naturally my friend saw it because she was standing right there. She had no idea who the guy was. One of my friends was texting me and I told him after school and he demanded to know who he was (I know he has a crush on me). Turns out that the guy who hit on me is his best friend and my friend even asked him if he knew who I was and he said no. Yeah, he was furious. Most of you who see what I say at the end know I'm bi. My question is, why can't there be some bi girls on my school? Why? Even if I was pining for their attention or they were going for mine. Jesus.**

 **Anyways, I hope you enjoyed. I wasn't even planning on adding Alvin in here. When I wrote out one of the vague descriptions, I was like "wow, he sounds like Alvin" so I threw him in.**


	34. Chapter 34

**I HAVE AN EXPLANATION.**

 **I'm so, so, so sorry for not updating, I literally just got home about thirty minutes ago after two planes – one ten hours and the other two and a half. At the last minute before leaving, my mom looks at me funny while I'm packing my laptop, and I asked why. She said we weren't bringing any because it would be too much to hall around. There were four of us going and each had two large suit cases not counting carry-on's and backpacks. Don't even ask me why we went through four planes in a matter of two weeks with eight bags of luggage and backpacks, I don't know either. I would try to write on my phone, and I tried, but 1: the wife sucked ass, and 2: I can't type to save my life, it literally takes sooooooo long for me to type a single text message if I'm thinking and writing. It's crazy. I did type down a few ideas and all that, but I didn't write any chapters out. I know I said I would try my hardest to get you a chapter or two while I was in Japan, but even if I did bring my laptop I wouldn't have any time to write anyway with my sister and her friend always leaning over my shoulder (I'm not really fond of thinking about what they would react to if they found out I was writing a gay fanfic) and not to mention my parents who are almost always breaking my computer. I am** _ **so**_ **sorry, I'm going to try to update as much as I can, but remember I've been out of school, the fucking country, for two weeks and I need to catch up on some school work. I'm going to try my best.**

 **Oh yeah, I'm laughing really hard still because on the train to Tokyo, my dad left his phone on the train and didn't even realize an hour later while we were eating noodles in the airport.**

 **Anyways, onto the story!**

…

…

" _Where's Hiccup?_ Where _the_ hell _if my cousin?"_

Astrid cringed, nearly dropping the phone from the venom in Snotlout's voice. "Goddamnit, Snotlout, he's…fine. He's with Toothless right now, don't worry."

" _How can I not worry when Hiccup_ and _Toothless don't show up to school? That's not okay! What's going on? Where are they? I'm going to beat Toothless – "_

"Hey, watch it!" Astrid barked, and then quieted down with a glance upstairs. "I'm not going to tell you anything if you're going to throw a punch, idiot. They're fine, it's just…"

" _What? What happened?"_

Astrid sighed. "Something happened at Hiccup's house last night. With…his dad. I don't know, he wouldn't tell me, but Toothless showed up at my house in the middle of the night with Hiccup."

" _Is Hiccup okay? I swear to God – "_

"Snotlout, he's fine. Toothless is with him, he's just a little beat up." She cringed at how insignificant she made it sound since the two of them hadn't woken up yet, and last time she'd checked on them, Hiccup was holding Toothless in a death-grip while passed out.

" _What the fuck do you mean he's_ beat up _? Was it – "_ There was an elongated silence and an intake of breath. "I'm coming over."

" _What?_ No! Snotlout, you're probably one of the last people they want to see. For God's sake, you don't even know where I live!"

" _I'll figure it out then!"_ And then he hung up.

Astrid slammed her phone down (luckily) on the couch and growled. "You've got to be kidding me."

…

"You three are the only ones who have shown up to work today, and I haven't heard anything from your insolent co-workers, so I want answers."

Everyone flinched at Gobber, for once wishing Snotlout was there since he at least knew their boss since he was little. There were other waiters holding down the restaurant, but they were actually an important part of their jobs since they were fast and efficient, something they'd exclusively learned from Hiccup. And there was the fact all Fishlegs, Tuffnut, and Ruffnut knew was absolutely nothing about where the others were.

"Uh, Astrid hasn't texted me," Ruffnut spoke up. "She always tells me where she's going, if it's important, so maybe she's…really sick or something?"

"That sounds pretty important to me, and she would have called in," Gobber immediately said back. "Hiccup hasn't ever skipped a day of work in…well, he's never, actually, so obviously something's going on."

"Sir," Fishlegs said, "I honestly don't know, and I don't think any of us know, either."

At that moment, Ruffnut's phone rang. She gave a sheepish smile to her boss and picked it up. "Kind of busy right now. Who is this?"

" _Where the hell does Astrid live?"_

Ruffnut sputtered in surprise. "Snotlout?"

" _No shit. Now, where does she live?"_

She put her hands on her hips defiantly. "And why should I tell you. You're wasting a lot of my precious time."

" _You're most likely being interrogated by Gobber! Give me an answer!"_

"Why do you need to know?"

"Uh…I'm sending her…her homework?"

"Oh! In that case…" And Ruffnut told him.

" _Tell Gobber that I'm working on some strict business with Hiccup and Toothless. Oh, and tell him pickles. M'kay, bye."_

"No 'thank you?'" she muttered. "How rude." Turning to Gobber, she said, "That was Snotlout. He says he's working on something with Hiccup and Toothless. And he said to tell you pickles."

Tuffnut's nose wrinkled. "Pickles? I hate pickles."

Gobber gave her a wide-eyed look. "What was Snotlout asking for?"

"Astrid's address."

Gobber took off his apron and scurried to his office in the back, and then came through the door again with his keys. "Fishlegs, you hold down the fort. You two" – He pointed to the twins – "just keep doing your jobs."

…

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah. Just stay here."

"You don't look okay."

"I have a bad feeling."

…

There was a bang on the door. "Astrid, open up right now!"

"No! I swear to God, Snotlout, I _will_ shoot you!"

"Oh yeah? With what exactly?"

Silence.

"That's what I thought!"

"I will shoot you with this baseball bat!"

"You don't have a baseball bat!"

"Wanna prove that point?"

Snotlout really considered this. She probably did have a bat. "You can't keep me from making sure my own cousin is okay!"

"There is no way in hell they want to see you! Now get out of here before you wake them up!"

" _You're_ the one yelling!"

"I'm _whisper_ -yelling, dumbass! And that's only because I don't want to wake them. _You're_ the one who's causing a scene outside my house! Someone's going to hear you and call the cops!"

"Like I give a damn. If you're telling me what you said, then the cops should be involved in this, because this is too far!"

"Yeah, no kidding! But I promised I wouldn't call them, and I agree, because you wanna know what – Hiccup has seen the cops way too much in his life, and if he tells me he doesn't want to deal with them, then I'm going to listen! He's gone through way more than I have, and I respect what he tells me, _unlike you!_ "

"Shut up! You don't know anything. You've ignored him since middle school!"

"'Ignoring' and 'minding my own business' are two separate things! And I'm glad I didn't bother him, because he obviously needs space from people like you!"

"And who are people like me?"

"Bullies!"

"There is a reason I did that, Astrid! And I regret every moment of it. With that said – "

"No! There is _never, ever_ a reason to hurt someone like that, especially Hiccup! Do you know what he's been through?"

"Says you! You know nothing – "

"I was at the fucking police station with Hiccup! They read off our records, idiot! I know enough."

Snotlout stared at the door, breathless. Clenching his eyes closed, he whispered, "Just let me in, Astrid."

"No."

"Fine," he growled, and plopped down on the wood. "I'm staying here until you let me in."

"Goddamnit, you're acting like a child, Snotlout!"

"Then let me in!"

"No!"

…

"Are they ever going to shut up?"

"I don't think so."

"Were they the bad feeling?"

"…No, I don't think so. It's not gone."

"Nothing is going to happened, Hiccup. You need to sleep so you can get better. Please?"

"Okay."

…

…

 **And that wraps up a short chapter. I have to go to a baby-shower in an hour and I still have to get ready. Again, I'm sorry it's been so long I've updated. I'm going to update as much as I can now.**

 **Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed!**


	35. Chapter 35

**Just something small and simple for the update. Sorry about the wait!**

…

…

It was nearly two-and-a-half hours later when Astrid was startled awake by a loud ringing. It seemed she wasn't the only one who was startled from the dull thunk of a head banging against the door behind her, bumping her forward. She growled and rubbed her back, blinking the sleep out of her eyes. She realized it was the ringtone of a cell phone when she heard a button beep and Snotlout mumbling something in agitation.

She pulled her phone out and looked at the time, _9:27._ Rolling her eyes, she called out, "Are you finally giving up, Snot?"

"Hey!" he snapped back through the barrier. "Shut up! I'm on the phone!"

"Rude." She set her baseball bat aside and got to her feet, nearly falling back down when she saw Toothless walked out of the kitchen, stopping when he saw her. "Jesus!"

"Oh. You're finally awake," Toothless said. "Is Snotlout still outside?"

"I'll be back!" Snotlout barked from outside before his footsteps bounded away.

Astrid sighed. "No. Not anymore." She picked up her bat, setting it on her shoulder. "Why didn't you wake me up?"

"You looked pretty peaceful."

"Sleeping against a door to keep an idiot out of the house?"

"Uh…yeah?"

"Whatever," she huffed. "What have you and Hiccup been doing?"

Toothless' face sagged a bit. "He's still sleeping. He wanted to come down and get you two to stop fighting a while ago, but he needed rest, so I made him stay. I just came down here to get a glass of water."

Astrid looked away. "Is Hiccup…okay? You know…with all this?"

Toothless looked at her for a moment, silent, and then said quietly, "He's fine."

"You don't trust me," she said.

"I trust you from helping to Hiccup, but no, I don't really trust you."

She readjusted her grip on the bat, nodding. "Fair enough."

"You don't trust me?"

She locked eyes with him. "I trust you enough. If I didn't, I wouldn't let you into my house. You can trust me when I earn it."

"Fair enough."

"Why didn't you go to school today?"

She looked at him, confused. "Because you guys are here."

He stayed still a moment. "Thanks for…letting us stay over. And keeping Snotlout out. I don't think Hiccup would want to talk to him, or explain anything."

"It's no problem," she replied, "really."

"Not everyone would do this for us." He looked at her unnervingly. "You…like him, don't you?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Feelings," he said, unfazed. "You have feelings for him."

She bit the inside of her cheek. "I…think. A little bit, yeah."

"Don't worry, it's not obvious."

"I'm not good with emotions," she said. "Or expressing them. I thought I felt like this because he was nice to me despite the way I used to treat him. I mean, it's not like I'm in love with him or anything," she added quickly, not wanting Toothless to get the wrong impression. "I just always thought, I don't know. I felt…"

"Butterflies in your stomach? Heart constantly pounding?" Toothless supplied, speaking from true experience. "Yeah. I know what you mean."

"Obviously I don't feel strongly about him or anything," she said. "Not like you, I mean. You're in love with him. In _love_. The _l-word_. I don't use the l-word towards _anyone_."

"Don't worry," Toothless said. "You'll find someone. Even though it's not Hiccup, I know you'll find someone that is just as loving and compassionate as him and will take care of you."

She shot him a look.

"Or maybe you'll take care of him," he said quickly.

…


	36. Chapter 36

**Hey guys.**

…

…

It turns out that Snotlout didn't come back later on. Astrid didn't really care. He was out of the way, and Hiccup nor Toothless didn't say anything about it, so it was less trouble for her. Hiccup didn't talk much when he came downstairs to see where Toothless had gone, but his boyfriend had made him eat some eggs, but he refused anything else, saying he would have thrown up if they shoved more down his throat.

He didn't look good. They changed his bandages, so a large band-aid covered his temple with some puffy gauze underneath just in case he bled anymore. His cheek was dark purple, nearly black, and swollen up to his chin and underneath his eye. Astrid didn't see what was underneath Hiccup's shirt since Toothless had already taken care of that when they were alone. But she could still see the mottled dark bruises all over his ribcage (which no ribs were broken, thankfully)

"He doesn't want to talk about it," Toothless had said when Hiccup wobbled back up the stairs before Toothless had run to him to help. "We're going to leave tomorrow, to my house."

She thought about calling Snotlout back, a bit curious to where he'd been, but she wasn't exactly in the mood for him to have a spur-of-the-moment decision to pop back in from…whatever he was doing. He didn't elaborate before he left.

She didn't even ask if the couple in her home were going to school the next day, then she realized it was Friday. She had lost track. Her parents came home on Sunday, so they chose the perfect day to leave.

She was sleeping on the couch in the living room when loud knocks startled her awake from her near-sleep. She almost fell off the couch as she rolled over in surprise, but swung her feet to the floor, and groaned. Grabbing the baseball bat, she shuffled over to the door angrily as the knocks got louder and more frantic, a pounding that started to echo in her head, which didn't help with her annoyance.

"I would have been a bit happier if you came earlier, Snotlout! It's four in the fucking morning, go away!" she hissed, not believing she was being woken up so many days in a row.

"It's not Snotlout!" The knocks became harder, a thundering sound of something that could only be panic. She recognized the voice before he even said his name. "It's Tuffnut! Please, open _now_!"

She did with a rolling in her stomach. Tuffnut stood there, sweating and breathing heavily, eyes wide. He was hunched, hands gripping his knees in an obvious fit to stay on his feet. She didn't get a word out of her mouth before he panted,

"It's Snotlout; he's missing."

…

…

 **This actually came out of nowhere. I hadn't even planned this out.**

 **But I do have an idea what's going to happen next *wink *wink**

 **I've been sick for the past three days with strep. I had been to the doctor for a different reason before and they gave me antibiotics. We called them up and they said it would help with strep, too, but we called in the second day, so I haven't been on them long. But it's the law that you have to turn in a doctor's note to the school if you are sick for three days, so we went through this long process with my doctor and the office at my high school to get a note. It was really annoying.**

 **I hope you all are having a wonderful week. I have been working hard on the HTTYD fanfic I've been briefly talking about. I have an announcement:**

 **I'm posting the first chapter up right when I post this. For all my loyal followers who have been reading this story from the beginning and have stuck with me: if you want to read my other one, I assure you it's different, but we're going to have a race to see who comments first. Doesn't matter what you say, even if it's skjfgshdglshdgkjw, just comment. I don't know why, just go and race!**


	37. Chapter 37

**Sorry for the huge lack of updates. I've been really out of it lately.**

…

…

The next day they were at the police station, Toothless glaring the entire time while Hiccup waved casually to Officer Kane that came strolling down the hallway, tugging on his coat. He was out of uniform, wearing only a black long-sleeved shirt and slacks. He seemed more in his element considering he was just a rookie.

"How nice it is to see you again, Hiccup," Officer Kane said as they exited the Station, not daring to look into anyone's eyes so they didn't cause suspicion. "I wasn't expecting to see you so soon." His tone was teasing. It hadn't been long.

"It's nice to see you, too, Officer Kane," Hiccup said, rolling his eyes as Toothless slid an arm around his waist and pulled him close as they started down the sidewalk. The streets weren't too busy - Hiccup was happy since there was less of a chance running into a homophobe. They didn't have time for that.

"No need to call me Officer," he said. "Kane is just fine."

Hiccup could feel the fire smoldering from Toothless's glare. "Kane it is then." He elbowed Toothless in the ribs when he tried to make his way in for a kiss. "I'm sure you're wondering why we're here."

"You don't want to just hang out with me?" Kane said smoothly, smiling innocently at him.

Hiccup could feel Toothless's arm tighten around him as he stiffened. He quickly changed the subject before his boyfriend decided to go all bat-shit crazy homicidal from jealousy - on a _police officer_ , no less. "We came here out of business. We didn't want the police getting involved fully on this because there's not much they can do about it except make it worse."

Kane's face pinched into worry. "About what?"

"My cousin's missing."

"When?" he demanded, then crossed his arms. "Does this have to do with the bandage around your head?"

Hiccup blabbered in place. "U-Uh, no. I just fell; I'm really clumsy." He cleared his throat. "Anyway, he disappeared around last night, I think. One of his friend's came over our friend's place we were staying at for the night and told us. He was...in a bit of a panic." Hiccup thought back to when he came downstairs to see what the ruckus was about, only to see Tuffnut pass out on the couch in exhaustion after muttering incoherent words.

Kane ran a hand through his hair. "Does this have to do with the, um, Collin thing?" he asked cautiously, as if he was going to break him from saying the name.

Hiccup pushed away the flashback in a hurry. "Yes. And I think it has to do with what happened when I was seven."

"The...gang rape?"

"Yes, yes," Hiccup said, waving his hand as Toothless looked around, making sure they weren't being watched. "When they broke into my house, they took...videos." He drew in a breath. "They were passed around a few other gangs, which isn't uncommon for any of their victims. I would know, they kept sending me stuff until all of them were caught. Or, I _thought_ they were all caught."

"Wait, wait, wait." Kane rubbed his temples. "Nothing about videos was on your record. I would remember considering the shit that's in there."

"Yeah, well, I never told anyone," Hiccup said, shrugging. "Only you and Toothless know." He gestured to his boyfriend that was nearly snarling like an animal, ready to pounce at any second. "The police shouldn't get caught up in all of it, because when they do, they tend to leave things out, like the fact that the guys - or at least _one_ of them - are out there, free. Of course, I figured this out a while ago when I came back in from the Collin incident. The police leave out the most important info as long as it keeps you from not coming back and bothering them."

"Experience isn't a virtue," Toothless mumbled next to him.

Kane glanced at Toothless, seemingly taking in his extreme willing to fight right then and there, and then looked back to him. "What do you want me to do? I'm not exactly a detective."

Hiccup took Toothless's hang into his, squeezing. "I want you to get my file from the station. Just snag it and let me borrow it."

"You want me to _steal_ from a _police station_?"

"Yeah."

"Alright then."

Hiccup looked at him incredulously. "What? Seriously? You'll do it?"

Kane shrugged. "Yeah. I mean, one of the reasons I became an officer was to get my mind off the fact it was easy for me to steal anything. I have some problems with being a klepto."

Well, that was surely surprising. "Wow. Okay. You don't really know someone until they confess to you they're a kleptomaniac." He sighed. "Are you sure you'll be able to do this? I only need the file to write down some of the stuff; I know they hid something inside it. Something you probably weren't allowed to see." _Where they are hiding_ were the unspoken words.

"Piece of cake. Meet me behind the station at midnight tonight."

…

"You know - I don't appreciate your tone," Snotlout sneered, receiving an effective punch to the nose. More blood dribbled down between his lips, and he spat the red out on the man's shoes. "Y-You're going to have to - " He spat out more blood " - try a little harder."

Maybe it wasn't the best idea to mock the people who had put a bag over his head and shoved him into a van to come to god-knows-where. It was definitely a warehouse from the grey walls that echoed everything inside and the numerous boxes scattered everywhere. Snotlout didn't want to know what was inside them; it could have gotten worse if he asked. There were men walking in and out, and he already knew not to yell when they opened the door. It would just end up getting hit harder. It was obvious from their uncaring demeanor that they were nowhere where anyone could hear him even if he tried.

So far they hadn't told him anything. Just berated him and demanded answers to where he went to school (which he refused to answer) and about his family that wouldn't be coming. The man who had been circling and closing in on him for the past hour (day? He couldn't tell; it was dark outside). Even with his muscles starting to ache from his arms being tied tightly behind his back, he knew it was going to get much worse, because he knew who they were and why he was there.

"So," the man growled, holding his bloody fists like trophies. "Since you won't answer me about your family...let's chat about your friends." Snotlout rolled his eyes blatantly to show his annoyance. "I'm sure you've got plenty...you're a football player, right? You've got teammates."

"And how would you know if I'm a football player or not?" he retorted confidently, smacking the blood off his teeth.

The man grinned. He had spiky hair that stuck straight to the sky and scars all over his face. "I _did_ ask you about your school, but that doesn't mean I don't know where you go, or where you live, or the people you know…"

"Yeah, right."

"You don't believe me, hm? I believe Berk High sounds very familiar to me." He tapped his chin mockingly. "You're a junior, live with your dad, mom's nowhere to be seen. You're friends with almost everyone on the football team. You even live near your...hm, who was it? Your uncle. Ah, yes. And his son. I think his name was Hiccup."

Snotlout gritted his teeth, hands clenching so hard the rope around his wrists pulled tighter. "Well, you're wrong."

" _You're_ wrong, boy. _Don't_ test me," the man sneered like an animal. "You know why you're here, but we don't need information. It's all a game when it comes to torturing. You're just mere bait for the boy to sniff you out, and we both know that football player - his _boyfriend_ \- won't be far behind."

Snotlout never felt rage like he did now. "You won't get away with anything, asshole! They don't even know I'm gone!"

The man smirked. "You're wrong there. We already got intel on the boy being beat up and kicked out by his father; we know exactly _who_ found out first and who he went straight _to_."

Snotlout's face slacked in realization.

"It's only a matter of time before we have our hands on your cousin and his boyfriend," the man laughed. "Then we can do anything we want with them. This is just stupid revenge for Collin; we've done much, much worse. All this isn't even a set back! The other boys with have something to preoccupy themselves with!"

 _You underestimate him,_ Snotlout thought, but didn't dare say it aloud. And that was what lead them to not only victory, but pure war.

…

…

 **Guys, I'm working myself to death. I'm working on three fanfictions at the same times because I can't stop myself from making more stories! Ah!**


	38. Chapter 38

It was 11:30 when they left. 12:03 when they got there.

"He said behind the station, right?" Hiccup said, twisting his hands together as he shifted for what seemed the one-hundredth time in the passenger seat that night.

" _Yes,_ that's what he said," Toothless repeated. He slowly pulled up against the curb and parked. He turned to him, grabbing his hand, and holding it firmly. "Before we do this and may get killed, I just want you to know you're better than any book I've ever read."

Hiccup, through his nerves, managed to give him an unimpressed look. "Wow, thanks for the sonnet. How romantic."

Toothless forced a smile. "And you know I love you, right?"

The soft smile spread to Hiccup's lips. "Yeah. I do. I love you, too."

Toothless kissed him and sat back in his seat, staring forward. "Well, if this goes as planned, it's going to get interesting. You brought everything I said to, right?"

Hiccup patted his pocket. "Yep. Let's kick ass."

"Yeah…" Toothless muttered as the they got out of the car, "I hope."

When they circled around the police station, pretending to be a couple strolling down the street in the front, Kane wasn't there. Hiccup released a breath and leaned heavily against the chipped and mold-riddled wall. "Oh, thank God."

"Don't thank God. He's not here," Toothless said, glancing around.

"That's...oh yeah, that's not a good thing," he mumbled. He wanted to put everything off, he really did. "Maybe he's late? I mean, he _is_ stealing from the police."

"No…" Toothless muttered, kneeling down a moment at a dark spot that was barely visible in the darkness. He took off his glove and touched it gently, bringing it close to his face to inspect it. "No. _No_. Hiccup...what did you say the gang's name was?"

Hiccup hurried over, squinting to see what he was looking at, but not seeing anything in the thick shadows of the lack of moon in the sky. "The Dragons. Why?"

He wiped his hand on his pants, stood up, and pushed Hiccup backwards, staring at the wall. Following his line of vision, Hiccup gazed at the dark painting dripping with malice and jagged edges. He had to back up to see the entire piece of art, if you could call it that.

It was a swirled, curled Dragon.

And it was painted in blood.

"Shit…"

There was only one person that was supposed to be behind the police station, and that was Kane.

When Hiccup turned to Toothless, the latter jumped on top of him and slammed him down on the ground, cradling his head as a bullet shot straight passed their heads. The gunshot rang through Hiccup's ears and rounded in his skull to the gasp that left him. Looking up over Toothless' shoulder, there was an outline of a man at the very end of the opening to the street, holding a pistol that was steady in his hands. He could hear Toothless' breathing nearly stop, and he was the one who pushed him off, grabbing his hand, dragging him to his feet. The black-haired boy tripped over himself as he ran, barely keeping up with him. Another shot rang as they skidded around the corner, pressing themselves to the wall.

The sound of sirens going off and footsteps rushing onto the pavement echoed through the neighborhood. There was just one moment they both made eye contact and they whispered. "Run."

"Not so fast," a voice growled. Toothless turned around just as metal glinted and he Hiccup pushed them both out of the way as a pipe collided with the wall behind them, smashing brick. Hands were torn off his arms as Hiccup was torn away from him. He twisted up just in time to see Hiccup jump and swing his weight down barking "Jump, tuck, back!" just like he'd taught him. The man obviously hadn't been expecting that as he was flipped over and slammed into the ground. Toothless jumped over him, looping an arm around Hiccup's waist as he took off.

"Get back here, fucker!"

"Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit, this is actually happening," Toothless rambled as he carried Hiccup out of the back and into the next street. There were street lights on as the sound of the sirens flooded the air. "We gotta go, we gotta go!"

"Toothless, watch _out_!" Hiccup barked as a car slammed its brakes, swerving around in front of them. Hiccup scrambled out of his arms and got to his feet, holding on his arm as they turned, only for another car to slide behind them, tires squealing against the pavement. Car doors opened and more large, bulky men got out of the cars, grinning.

"We got 'em!"

People started coming out of their houses to see what was happening. Some were recording on their phones or calling the police. That was when they realized no one was going to help them.

Hiccup put his hands up. If he got knocked out, there was a chance he might not wake up from the most recent blow to his head. "Fine," he said, loud enough for everyone to hear, feeling Toothless press up against his back, breath short in adrenaline and confusion. "You got me. Let's go."

One man wielding a baseball bat came forward. He looked around, suspicious. "That's it? No fighting or anything?"

"Nothing," Hiccup said, feeling Toothless press up against him from behind and snarl at the men he couldn't see. "Willingly."

"Fine then," he said, hand curling around his shoulder before grinning. "Get your ass in the car. We're on a schedule."

Hiccup jerked away and walked forward, ignoring his laugh. Toothless followed behind him. He could feel his stomach drop as soon as he put on foot in the car. Toothless ushered him inside quickly as another man slipped in with them.

The car jerked forward and the bags went over their heads.

…

…

 **If you're reading this, thank you for getting through the chapter.**

 **I'm so sorry. I haven't been on here in a while to update this story. A lot of stuff went down with a bad relationship I had with a friend. I have been led to believe we were friends, even though I knew she wasn't to me since we first met, but it was not a good place to be as time went on. This really did affect my mood in my writing. I usually write decently sized chapters and this story got shorter and shorter as more and more things started happening, if you hadn't noticed. I usually write most of my stories about a week before I post them, but I was running low on practically everything, so I only posted like one or two oneshots in different fandoms that I pulled out of my ass.**

 **Good news is, in a span of a few shorts months, I've gained a lot of confidence and I'm sort of out of the friendship. I'm going to be finishing this story very soon; it will not get up to fifty chapters, but I know I'm going to write bonus chapters of scenes I always meant to write but never got the time to and some explanations about the characters and settings 'cause I'm huge on developing every single detail. This story will most likely go to forty chapters until the official end, but there will be more to come that you don't have to read but can if you want to :). I'm so glad I'm back and...I'm writing another Hiccup x Toothless fic after this. I've got a lot of it planned out already.**

 **Thanks for reading!**


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